White-capped Redstart
Phoenicurus leucocephalus
白顶溪鸲
Introduction
Passerine bird of the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. Native to the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, much of China, and certain regions of Central Asia. Inhabits temperate forests. Characterized by black plumage with red underparts and a distinctive white crown. Was formerly placed in the monotypic genus Chaimarrornis but was moved to Phoenicurus based on molecular phylogenetic study results published in 2010.
Description
Medium-sized passerine with entirely black upperparts and bright red underparts. Both sexes feature a prominent white crown on the head. Males display a more extensive white pattern on the crown and have brown or red spots on the underwing coverts, creating subtle contrast against the black plumage. The combination of black upperparts, red underparts, and white crown creates a highly distinctive and striking appearance.
Identification
The species is unmistakable within its range due to the combination of entirely black upperparts, red underparts, and white crown. Males show more extensive white on the crown and distinct underwing spots compared to females.
Distribution & Habitat
Found across Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tibet, and Vietnam. Inhabits temperate forest habitats throughout its range.
Behavior & Ecology
No detailed behavioral information available in the source material.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Taxonomy
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Genus
- Phoenicurus
- eBird Code
- whcred1
Distribution
breeds Himalayas of southern Asia; winters to southeastern Asia
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.