Irena puella
The Asian Fairy-bluebird (Irena puella) is an exquisitely colored passerine, instantly recognizable by the male's dazzling iridescent cobalt-blue upperparts and underparts, strikingly contrasted with velvety black wings, tail, and facial mask. Measuring approximately 24-27 cm in length and weighing 50-70g, it possesses a stout bill and striking red eyes, which are key field marks. Females, while still attractive, display a duller, greenish-blue plumage overall, lacking the male's intense vibr...
Predominantly inhabiting the canopies of tropical and subtropical evergreen broadleaf forests, it also thrives in secondary forests, forest edges, and cultivated areas like plantations, typically from lowlands up to 1600 meters elevation.
Primarily frugivorous, their diet consists mainly of fruits, especially figs, supplemented with berries, nectar, and a variety of insects such as ants, beetles, and caterpillars. They forage by gleaning from foliage and occasional sallying for insects.
Diurnal and largely arboreal, Asian Fairy-bluebirds spend much of their day foraging high in the forest canopy, often observed in pairs or small family groups. They are frequently seen joining mixed-species foraging flocks, particularly with leafbirds and flowerpeckers, a testament to their socia...
The Asian Fairy-bluebird boasts a vast geographic distribution spanning much of the Oriental zoogeographical region. Its breeding range extends from the lower Himalayas in India (north-eastern states) and Sri Lanka, through extensive parts of Southeast Asia including Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand...
Least Concern
- The name 'Fairy-bluebird' perfectly encapsulates the male's ethereal, iridescent blue plumage, which seems to shimmer with a magical quality. - They are considered keystone species in many tropical forests due to their crucial role in dispersing the seeds of fruiting trees, particularly figs. -...