Terpsiphone atrocaudata
The Black Paradise Flycatcher, Terpsiphone atrocaudata, is a stunning passerine celebrated for its exceptional elegance and challenging elusiveness within its East Asian range. Males are truly magnificent, sporting a glossy black head adorned with a prominent crest, entirely black upperparts, and a dramatically elongated, flowing black tail that can stretch up to 30 centimeters, often more than twice their body length. Females and immature males, while still beautiful, display a shorter tail,...
Found in lowland and hill forests, primarily broadleaf evergreen or mixed deciduous forests, bamboo thickets, and mature secondary growth, typically near water. Occupies elevations up to 1000 meters.
Exclusively insectivorous, primarily preying on flying insects such as moths, butterflies, flies, and beetles, caught in mid-air.
This diurnal species is often challenging to observe within the dense foliage of its preferred habitats. It is an adept aerial insectivore, frequently sallying from a favored perch to snatch flying insects mid-air, a classic flycatching technique, though it also gleans prey from leaves. During th...
The Black Paradise Flycatcher exhibits a distinct migratory pattern across East and Southeast Asia. Its primary breeding grounds encompass central and southern Japan (including Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, and the Ryukyu Islands), the southern coastal regions and islands of South Korea, Taiwan, and c...
Near Threatened
- The male's tail streamers can be more than twice the length of its body, making it one of the longest-tailed birds relative to its size. - Its scientific name, 'atrocaudata,' translates from Latin as 'black-tailed,' a direct reference to the male's striking plumage. - Historically, the male's e...