Manjunth S Nayak:
Green Minute News wishes all its readers a Very Happy New Year. We hope Year 2026 ushers in a new beginning for the protection of all endemic, rare, resident, migratory and endangered birds in India. The rare Blue-throated blue flycatcher (Cyornis rubeculoides) was sighted in Maralakunte village, Nelamangala taluk in biodiversity rich Bengaluru Rural District, Karnataka, India.
Belonging to the Muscicapidae family, the Blue-throated blue flycatcher was discovered by a team led by author, along with birdwatchers S Sunil Kumar and Raghu Kumar C. It was Sunil who recorded this beautiful bird resting on a tree and captured the image on his camera. Harish N, a birdwatcher from Kanakapura who was part of the team, confirmed the bird’s identity.
These birds migrate from the Himalayas to the forests of the Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats of India in winter. They return to their native habitat in the first week of April. They migrate to Malaysia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Thailand, and Sri Lanka for winter.
The Blue-throated blue flycatchers are 13-15 cm in size. If the males are vivid, vibrant blue with blue throats, white belly and orange breast, the females are duller with an olive head and such well-defined coloured body. Earlier, it was recorded only in the forests of Western Ghats, Karnataka during the migration season. This is the first time it has been recorded in the rural parts of Bengaluru, which has brought joy to bird lovers.
The sighting of these birds was special as two males and one female Nona Hiduka (flycatcher in Kannada) birds have been recorded in the same place in this area. Sunil has been recording the diversity of birds in his village for years. The spotting of this rare bird shows the richness of biodiversity in both rural and urban parts of Bengaluru.
Maralakunte is dry scrub land with rocky surface. In fact, several species of flycatcher birds are commonly found in the verdant, lake areas of Bengaluru and nearby birding areas of this city. Various types of flycatcher birds are often spotted in wooded areas of Lalbagh, Turahalli forests, Bannerghatta National Park, Thattekere Lake, Hessarghatta grasslands near water bodies, and also in tree parks of Bengaluru.
The Blue-throated blue flycatcher prefers dense undergrowth and wooded ravines, often near streams, which are less common within the city centre of Bengaluru but the wooded spots of Indian Institute of Science (IISc) campus have seen this bird a few times. These birds move through the region, often stopping for short periods in winter, making sightings dependent on timing.