Phoenicurus bicolor
The Luzon Water Redstart (*Phoenicurus bicolor*) is a striking and active songbird, endemic to the island of Luzon in the Philippines. This small, robust member of the Old World flycatcher family (Muscicapidae) measures approximately 16 cm (6.3 inches) in length, exhibiting pronounced sexual dimorphism. Males boast an iridescent blue-black plumage on their upperparts, head, and breast, contrasting sharply with rich rufous-chestnut underparts, belly, and undertail coverts, creating its distinc...
This species exclusively inhabits the pristine, rocky, fast-flowing mountain streams and rivers within primary and secondary forests, typically at elevations ranging from 300 to 1,800 meters above sea level.
The diet primarily consists of aquatic insects and their larvae, as well as other small invertebrates such as spiders, which it catches by gleaning from rocks, fly-catching, or wading.
The Luzon Water Redstart is a highly active and diurnal bird, spending its day foraging along the edges of mountain streams, often perching on mossy boulders or overhanging branches. Its foraging strategy involves a combination of gleaning insects from wet rocks and vegetation, making short, dart...
The Luzon Water Redstart is strictly endemic to the island of Luzon in the Philippines, where it is a resident, non-migratory species. Its distribution is fragmented and confined primarily to the higher elevations of the island's mountain ranges. Key regions include the Cordillera Administrative ...
Near Threatened
- The Luzon Water Redstart is entirely endemic to the island of Luzon in the Philippines, meaning it's found nowhere else on Earth. - Despite its "redstart" name, its most striking color contrast is between the blue-black upperparts and rufous underparts, giving rise to its species name "bicolor....