Red-flanked Bluetail

A blue bird that is one of the "Three Blue Birds of Japan."

Scientific name	Tarsiger cyanurus
English name	Red-flanked Bluetail
Japanese name	瑠璃鶲
Class	Aves
Order	Passeriformes
Family	Muscicapidae
Genus	Tarsiger
Species	cyanurus
Full length	14cm
Distribution	Eurasia. Breeds in high mountains during summer and winters in central Honshu and southward during winter.

Red-flanked Bluetail Characteristics and Morphology

A sparrow-sized blue bird of the Old World flycatcher family. Colors differ significantly between males and females.
Bill is short and lead-colored. Iris is black. The belly is rounded and white. Yellow feathers grow along the sides of the body from the base of the scapulars. Both males and females have a blue tint to the tail feathers, though the intensity varies. Legs are black.

Male

Features a beautiful lapis lazuli blue. It takes 2 to 3 years after birth for a male to develop this striking blue plumage.
A white line runs from the bill to above the eye. The throat is white. The dorsal side is a beautiful blue. Primary feathers are closer to dark brown.

Female

Generally a subdued brown color.
There is a white eye ring around the eye. The tail feathers are not as vivid as the male's, but some individuals show a bluish tint.

Juvenile

Young males have a subdued color similar to females, with the blue tint gradually increasing over time.
It is difficult to distinguish young males from females at a glance.

Song

Like the Daurian Redstart, it makes "hi-hi" and "kata-kata-kata" sounds. The male's song during breeding season is a slightly fast-paced "hyoro-hyoro" or "pyuru-pyuru."

Listen to the song

Red-flanked Bluetail Ecology

Habitat

Inhabits dark forests with thickets. Found in high-altitude areas from Hokkaido to Shikoku in summer. Descends to low-mountain forests in winter.

Food

Feeds on insects and fruits.

Life Cycle

Establishes territories and breeds in summer. Performs seasonal migration to low-mountain forests in winter.

Red-flanked Bluetail Photos

Red-flanked Bluetail Photos are introduced.
Tap the photo to open the detail page.

A mature male with beautiful lapis lazuli coloring.

The tips of the primary and tail feathers are grayish.

A juvenile bird with overall brown coloring.

Appeared on a maple tree in the sunlight.

Red-flanked Bluetail Behavior

Acts solitary and moves between the ground and trees. Quietly emerges from the shadows to perch on branches and scan the surroundings. Moves along thickets. Sings from high branches. Moves near the ground. Often comes out into sunny spots.

Red-flanked Bluetail Information

Naming

The scientific name "cyanurus" is derived from "cyan" (dark blue), referring to the bird's beautiful blue color. The English name combines "Red-flanked" (referring to the sides) and "Bluetail."

One of the "Three Blue Birds of Japan" (Ruri Sancho).

Delayed Plumage Maturation

The delay of several years before an adult bird's plumage color appears is called "Delayed Plumage Maturation," a phenomenon also seen in other bird species.

Red-flanked Bluetail Found Locations

A park in Hachioji City

I photographed a male that emerged from a thicket in a park in Hachioji City. It quietly came out of the shadows, perched on a branch, and was looking around. It seemed to be eating something after descending to the ground. After a while, it moved several dozen meters along the thicket and returned to the depths of the forest.
On sunny days, you can hear the call of the Red-flanked Bluetail. If you are lucky, you can see them singing on high branches or moving near the ground. On the day I filmed, they were quite active and frequently appeared in sunny areas.

Red-flanked Bluetail Video

Red-flanked Bluetail is introduced by video.

A female perched on a stake along a forest road.

A male was foraging.

Red-flanked Bluetail Observation Log

These are the observation logs where we found Red-flanked Bluetail.

2021-02-13

After hearing the call of a Blue-and-white Flycatcher around 11:30 AM, I waited for a while and a male came out into the sun. It was pecking at a grub and eating it from a decayed log.

2021-11-28