Passeriformes / Monarchidae / Hypothymis
Black-naped Monarch
Hypothymis azurea · 黑枕王鹟
Introduction
Passerine bird in the monarch flycatcher family found in southern and south-eastern Asia. Sexually dimorphic, with males displaying a distinctive black patch on the nape and a narrow black half collar. Inhabits thick forests and well-wooded habitats, often joining mixed-species foraging flocks.
Description
Adult male is about 16 cm long, mainly pale azure blue with a whitish lower belly, black nape, and narrow black gorget. Female is duller, lacking black head markings, with grey-brown wings and back. Gape color is yellowish to green. Subspecies vary: Indian males have distinct black markings and whitish abdomen; Sri Lankan males lack black nape and gorget with purplish shade; Andaman males have blue-grey underparts; Car Nicobar form has greyish-white belly; southern Nicobar form has a smaller, finer bill.
Identification
Males identified by black nape and narrow black necklace against pale azure blue plumage. Females are duller with olive-brown wings and no black head markings. Call is a sharp, abrupt skrip, similar to the Asian paradise flycatcher. When alarmed, nape feathers raise into a pointed crest.
Distribution & Habitat
Breeds across tropical southern Asia from Iran and Sri Lanka east to Indonesia and the Philippines. Found in thick forests and well-wooded habitats. Twenty-three subspecies recognized, including populations in India, Nepal, southeast China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Thailand, Myanmar, Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo, Java, Bali, Lesser Sundas, and the Philippines.
Behavior & Ecology
Insectivorous, hunting by flycatching. Sits upright on prominent perches. Joins mixed-species foraging flocks, active in forest understory. Breeding season in India is March to August (peak May-July). Female builds cup nest in tree fork, lined with spider-web filaments and fungi (e.g., Marasmius); male guards. Typical clutch is two to three eggs. Both parents incubate and feed young; hatching occurs after about 12 days. Affected by human disturbance, receding about 75 m from disturbed edges. Can be trapped in large spider webs.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Taxonomy
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Monarchidae
- Genus
- Hypothymis
Vocalizations
Subspecies (23)
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Hypothymis azurea abbotti
Babi and Lasia islands (west of Sumatra)
Data Sources
Species description from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Bird images and sounds sourced from GBIF, contributed by citizen scientists worldwide under Creative Commons licenses.
Taxonomy data from AviList 2025.
