Azure and White The Ultramarine Flycatcher

This charismatic songbird, perched conspicuously on a branch, is the male Ultramarine Flycatcher (Ficedula superciliaris). Characterized by its brilliant, deep blue-to-purplish head and upperparts, it exhibits a striking contrast with its clean white throat and breast, which typically features a small, inverted 'V' shape of white extending up towards the neck. My fieldwork in the dense Asian forests has often involved tracking this species, noting their generally neat, compact structure and the subtle dark lores that enhance the intensity of their dark eyes. The birds posture is typical of a flycatcher, alert and upright, ready to sally forth to snatch passing insects from the air, its main food source. Over three decades of avian studies, I have found this small migrants presence to be a beautiful sign of healthy, diverse montane and submontane habitats throughout its range.