Blue-and-white Flycatcher
Cyanoptila cyanomelana
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyMuscicapidae (Old World Flycatchers, Robins, and Chats)
- GenusCyanoptila (Blue-and-white and Zappey's Flycatchers)
- SpeciesCyanoptila cyanomelana (Blue-and-white Flycatcher)
About the Blue-and-white Flycatcher
The blue-and-white flycatcher (Cyanoptila cyanomelana) is a migratory songbird in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. The species is also known as the Japanese flycatcher. It breeds in Japan, Korea, and in parts of north eastern China and the Russian Far East. It winters in South East Asia, especially in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Sumatra and Borneo. This species has been recorded as a vagrant from the Sinharaja Rainforest in Sri Lanka in 2014.
The species was first described in 1829 by Coenraad Jacob Temminck under the binomial name Muscicapa cyanomelana, and was transferred to its own genus Cyanoptila by Edward Blyth in 1847, on the basis of structural differences from other flycatchers, including its wing length and bill dimensions.
The genus name comes from ancient Greek; "kuanos" meaning dark blue, and "ptilon", plumage. The specific cyanomelana also comes from "kuanos", paired with melas, melanos meaning dark, black. Two subspecies are accepted: C. c. cyanomelana (Temminck, 1829) - breeds in Japan and the southern Kuril Islands; it migrates south to winter in Myanmar, Thailand, and the Greater Sundas.
C. c. intermedia... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Sepilok
White-crowned Shama
Copsychus stricklandii
Oriental Magpie-Robin
Copsychus saularis
Verditer Flycatcher
Eumyias thalassinus
Brown-streaked Flycatcher
Muscicapa williamsoni
Asian Brown Flycatcher
Muscicapa latirostris
Gray-streaked Flycatcher
Muscicapa griseisticta
White-crowned Forktail
Enicurus leschenaulti
Dark-sided Flycatcher
Muscicapa sibirica
Malaysian Blue-Flycatcher
Cyornis turcosus
Narcissus Flycatcher
Ficedula narcissina
Grey-chested Jungle Flycatcher
Rhinomyias umbratilis
Pale Blue-Flycatcher
Cyornis unicolor
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nikko National Park | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 2 | Kinabalu Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 3 | Sepilok | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 4 | Khao Sok National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 5 | Khao Luang National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 6 | Khao Yai National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 7 | Cat Tien National Park | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 8 | Kaeng Krachan National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 9 | Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 10 | Danum Valley Conservation Area | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 11 | Bako National Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 12 | Kaziranga National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 13 | Taman Negara National Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Blue-and-white Flycatcher in Sepilok?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Blue-and-white Flycatcher sighting in Sepilok, based on 57 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Blue-and-white Flycatcher in Sepilok?
November has the highest sighting rate for Blue-and-white Flycatcher in Sepilok in our monthly data.