Culicicapa ceylonensis
The Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher (*Culicicapa ceylonensis*) is a diminutive and highly active passerine bird, known for its distinctive plumage. Measuring a mere 10-11 cm (4-4.5 inches) in length and weighing just 5-7 grams, it sports a striking slate-grey head and nape that contrasts sharply with its bright canary-yellow underparts, extending from throat to vent. Its back and wings are a dull olive-green, completing a vibrant yet subtly elegant palette. Key identification marks include this...
This species primarily inhabits subtropical and tropical moist broadleaf forests, encompassing both lowland and montane environments. It is frequently encountered near streams or damp areas, typically at elevations ranging from 600 to 2000 meters, though it can be found lower in some parts of its...
Its diet is exclusively insectivorous, consisting primarily of small flying insects such as flies, midges, beetles, moths, lacewings, and ants. It obtains food through active aerial sallying from a perch and by gleaning insects from foliage.
The Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher is a ceaselessly active, diurnal bird, constantly flitting between branches and perches. Its primary foraging strategy involves swift aerial sallies to catch small insects in flight, a classic flycatching technique, but it also adeptly gleans prey from foliage an...
The Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher boasts an extensive geographic distribution across Southern and Southeast Asia. Its breeding range stretches from the Himalayan foothills of India, Nepal, and Bhutan, eastward through Myanmar, southern China (Yunnan), and much of mainland Southeast Asia, includin...
Least Concern
- The Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher was historically classified with Old World flycatchers (Muscicapidae) or monarch flycatchers (Monarchidae) before being placed in its own family, Stenostiridae, due to genetic evidence. - Despite its small size, often no larger than a human thumb, it is an incr...