Passeriformes / Muscicapidae / Larvivora
Indian Blue Robin
Larvivora brunnea · 栗腹歌鸲
Introduction
A small bird in the family Muscicapidae, formerly classified as a thrush. It breeds in forests along the Himalayas of Nepal, India, Myanmar, and Bangladesh, and winters in the hill forests of the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka. Distinctive behaviors include ground-foraging with frequent tail-flicking and fanning.
Description
Approximately 15 cm long. Adult males have blue upperparts, rufous underparts, a bright white supercilium, a black mask extending down the neck, and whitish lower belly and undertail. Females are olive brown above and buff below, featuring a light eye-ring, rufescent rump, and buffy breast and flanks. Young birds are dark brown with buff spots.
Identification
Males are identified by blue upperparts, rufous underparts, and a contrasting white supercilium against a black mask. Females show olive-brown upperparts, buff underparts, and a light eye-ring. Key field marks include frequent tail-flicking and fanning while hopping on the ground. The song is a sudden, sharp series of whistles ending in rapid notes; alarm calls are sharp, low clicks.
Distribution & Habitat
Breeds from Eastern Afghanistan to the eastern Himalayas (Nepal, India, Myanmar, Bangladesh). The subspecies wickhami breeds in the Chin Hills of western Myanmar and is non-migratory. Migratory populations winter in the hill forests of the Western Ghats in southern India and Sri Lanka. Passage migrants occur across peninsular India during migration.
Behavior & Ecology
Insectivorous, feeding mainly on the ground in dense, dark forests with undergrowth and leaf litter. Breeding occurs from May to July; nests are large cups of vegetation lined with roots, hair, and down, placed on the ground between tree roots or in depressions. Clutch size is usually four light blue eggs. Only the female incubates, but both sexes feed young. Southward migration begins in August; birds arrive in winter quarters mid-September and leave mid-April.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Taxonomy
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Genus
- Larvivora
Taxonomy Changes
Luscinia brunnea → Larvivora brunnea
Genus transfer — GBIF Backbone Taxonomy uses the former name; AviList 2025 uses the current name.
Vocalizations
Subspecies (2)
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Larvivora brunnea brunnea
breeds from northeastern Afghanistan eastward through the Himalayas to northeastern India and central China; winters primarily in southwestern India and in Sri Lanka
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.
