Asian Fairy-bluebird

Asian Fairy-bluebird

Irena puella

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Cat Tien National Park

In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%

359 Verified sightings at Cat Tien National Park From 2019 to 2026
9,727 In all 21 parks
January Best month
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted

About the Asian Fairy-bluebird

The Asian fairy-bluebird (Irena puella) is a medium-sized, arboreal passerine bird. This fairy-bluebird is found in forests across tropical southern Asia, Indochina and the Greater Sundas. Two or three eggs are laid in a small cup nest in a tree. It was described by British ornithologist John Latham in 1790. The only other member of the genus and family is the Philippine fairy-bluebird, I. cyanogastra, which replaces the Asian fairy-bluebird in most of the Philippines. Both species are considered as sacred to the Tagalog people as they are perceived as tigmamanukan omens.

The adult Asian fairy bluebird is about 24 to 27 centimetres (9.4 to 10.6 in). The male has glossy, iridescent blue upperparts, and black underparts and flight feathers. The female and first year male are entirely dull blue-green.

The Asian fairy bluebird eats fruits, nectar and some insects. Its call is a liquid two note glue-it. The Asian fairy bluebird measures 24 to 27 cm (9.4 to 10.6 in) in length. The iris is crimson and eyelids pinkish; the bill, legs and claws are black, and mouth a flesh- colour. Marked sexual dimorphism is evident. The male is a shining ultramarine-blue with lilac reflections... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Recording0:16

Thailand · 2025

Abby Hyde · iNaturalist · CC0

Recording0:06

Singapore · 2019

© Steven Kurniawidjaja · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0

Recording0:15

Singapore · 2023

© Hubert Szczygieł · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Khao Luang National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~70%
2 Khao Yai National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~60%
3 Taman Negara National Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~40%
4 Kaeng Krachan National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~40%
5 Bako National Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~40%
6 Namdapha National Park 🇮🇳 India
~40%
7 Periyar National Park 🇮🇳 India
~40%
8 Manas National Park 🇮🇳 India
~40%
9 Khao Sok National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~30%
10 Royal Manas National Park 🇧🇹 Bhutan
~20%
11 Danum Valley Conservation Area 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~20%
12 Cat Tien National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
~20%
13 Mudumalai National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
14 Sepilok 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~10%
15 Kinabalu Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~10%
16 Nagarhole National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
17 Bandipur National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
18 Eravikulam National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
19 Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%
20 Kaziranga National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
21 Doi Inthanon National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Singapore 🇸🇬 Singapore
~10%
2 Kuala Lumpur 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%
3 Thrissur 🇮🇳 India
<5%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Disney's Animal Kingdom 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
2 San Diego Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
3 Prague Zoo 🇨🇿 Czechia In captivity
4 National Zoological Park 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
5 Leipzig Zoological Garden 🇩🇪 Germany In captivity
6 Taman Safari Bali (Bali Safari) 🇮🇩 Indonesia In captivity
7 Brookfield Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
8 Chester Zoo 🇬🇧 United Kingdom In captivity
9 Cape May County Park & Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
10 Burgers' Ocean 🇳🇱 Netherlands In captivity
11 Royal Burgers' Zoo 🇳🇱 Netherlands In captivity
12 Zoologischer Garten Leipzig 🇩🇪 Germany In captivity
13 Wilhelma 🇩🇪 Germany In captivity
14 Gembira Loka Zoo 🇮🇩 Indonesia In captivity
15 Honolulu Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
16 Bird Paradise 🇸🇬 Singapore In captivity
17 Riverbanks Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
18 Rainforest Wild Asia 🇸🇬 Singapore In captivity
19 Krefelder Zoo 🇩🇪 Germany In captivity
20 Kuala Lumpur Bird Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia In captivity
21 Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens 🇨🇳 China In captivity
22 National Aviary 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
23 Sea World Indonesia 🇮🇩 Indonesia In captivity
24 Edward Youde Aviary 🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR China In captivity
25 Rákosův pavilon 🇨🇿 Czechia In captivity
26 The Green Planet 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates In captivity
27 Velemlokárium 🇨🇿 Czechia In captivity
28 Waddesdon Aviary 🇬🇧 United Kingdom In captivity
29 Taman Safari Indonesia 2 🇮🇩 Indonesia In captivity
30 Vogelpark Bali 🇮🇩 Indonesia In captivity
31 Wolfgang-Köhler-Primaten-Forschungszentrum 🇩🇪 Germany In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an Asian Fairy-bluebird in Cat Tien National Park?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report an Asian Fairy-bluebird sighting in Cat Tien National Park on a given day, based on 359 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 72nd most-seen of the 244 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see an Asian Fairy-bluebird in Cat Tien National Park?

January–April and August

In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report an Asian Fairy-bluebird in Cat Tien National Park on a given day, against about 10% in May, July and September, the lowest months. Those are among Cat Tien National Park's driest months, with about 120 mm of rain a month against 490 mm in July.

What time of day is best to see an Asian Fairy-bluebird?

Between 4 and 7 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Asian Fairy-bluebird sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.

Which relatives of the Asian Fairy-bluebird live in Cat Tien National Park?

Same order: Passeriformes

The closest relatives of the Asian Fairy-bluebird that you can see in Cat Tien National Park (order Passeriformes, Perching Birds) are White-rumped Shama (about 70%), Ashy Drongo (about 70%) and Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (about 70%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Asian Fairy-bluebird sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Asian Fairy-bluebird is recorded against all the birds logged in Cat Tien National Park (359 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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