Welcome to Vietnam Bird News

Bird news from Vietnam, from Vietnam's resident and visiting birders.

19 April 2015

Another exciting passage migrant - 18th April



The incei subspecies of Asian Paradise-flycatcher, from China, is a quite common passage migrant in East Tonkin. I have been waiting for a long time in Hanoi the Japanese Paradise-flycatcher, considered as scarce in Vietnam. Finally flew into the right patch!

At first glance, I noticed the black hood extending further down onto breast, very different to the migrant incei APF  I am used to seeing on passage. At closer range, breast appeared dark grey but without clear demarcation with the black hood.  
This bird show also clear maroon tone on the mantle and a dull tail - not bright orangey-chestnut as in APF. 
Another detail is the black crown lacking metallic gloss, which also points to female Japanese PF.
The clearly bluish bill and orbital indicates an adult.

Due to its resemblance to its more abundant female Chinese cousins, I reckoned the female Japanese Paradise-flycatcher may have been overlooked  and under-recorded in Vietnam.




1 comment:

  1. I'm still looking for paradise fly, yesterday saw 1 female (asian paradise) but at that moment, I cant not take a shot, the camera still in the bag...

    ReplyDelete