Ficedula ruficauda
The Rusty-tailed Flycatcher (Ficedula ruficauda) is a charming, albeit subtly plumaged, member of the Old World flycatcher family (Muscicapidae), inhabiting the high-altitude forests of Central and South Asia. Measuring approximately 13-14 cm in length with a wingspan of 20-22 cm and weighing around 10-15 grams, this small passerine is characterized by its dull olive-brown upperparts and paler, buff-washed underparts. Its most distinctive field mark, giving it its common name, is the conspicu...
Found primarily in sub-alpine and temperate forests, favoring dense undergrowth in coniferous, mixed deciduous, or broadleaf evergreen woodlands, typically at elevations between 2,000 and 4,000 meters during breeding.
Primarily insectivorous, feeding on a wide array of small invertebrates including flies, beetles, caterpillars, ants, and spiders, occasionally supplementing their diet with small berries.
A highly active and largely diurnal insectivore, the Rusty-tailed Flycatcher employs a classic 'sit-and-wait' foraging strategy, sallying out from a perch to snatch aerial insects, but also gleans invertebrates from foliage and tree trunks. During the breeding season, males establish and defend t...
The Rusty-tailed Flycatcher has a distinct breeding range spanning the western and central Himalayas, extending from northeastern Afghanistan through Pakistan, Kashmir, northern India (Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand), Nepal, Bhutan, and into southwestern China (Tibet). During the non-breeding seas...
Least Concern
- Despite its rather dull plumage compared to some 'flashier' Ficedula flycatchers, its rich, fluty song is surprisingly complex and melodious. - This small bird undertakes an impressive annual migration, traveling thousands of kilometers from its Himalayan breeding grounds to the Indian subconti...