Cyanoptila cyanomelana
Silhouette: Martin Bulla, based on François Desbordes' illustration · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5%
The blue-and-white flycatcher (Cyanoptila cyanomelana) is a migratory songbird in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. The species is also known as the Japanese flycatcher. It breeds in Japan, Korea, and in parts of north eastern China and the Russian Far East. It winters in South East Asia, especially in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Sumatra and Borneo. This species has been recorded as a vagrant from the Sinharaja Rainforest in Sri Lanka in 2014.
The species was first described in 1829 by Coenraad Jacob Temminck under the binomial name Muscicapa cyanomelana, and was transferred to its own genus Cyanoptila by Edward Blyth in 1847, on the basis of structural differences from other flycatchers, including its wing length and bill dimensions.
The genus name comes from ancient Greek; "kuanos" meaning dark blue, and "ptilon", plumage. The specific cyanomelana also comes from "kuanos", paired with melas, melanos meaning dark, black. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nikko National Park | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 2 | Kinabalu Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 3 | Sepilok | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 4 | Khao Luang National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 5 | Khao Yai National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 6 | Cat Tien National Park | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 7 | Kaeng Krachan National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 8 | Danum Valley Conservation Area | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 9 | Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ueno Zoo | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 2 | Ueno Zoological Gardens (West Garden) | 🇯🇵 Japan |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Blue-and-white Flycatcher sighting in Danum Valley Conservation Area on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 249th most-seen of the 258 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Blue-and-white Flycatcher in Danum Valley Conservation Area on a given day, against under 5% in December to October, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Blue-and-white Flycatcher sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
8th of 9
Of the 9 parks where we can rate Blue-and-white Flycatcher sightings, Danum Valley Conservation Area ranks 8th at under 5%. The best odds are in Nikko National Park (Japan, about 20%), Kinabalu Park (Malaysia, about 10%) and Sepilok (Malaysia, under 5%).
Same family: Muscicapidae
The closest relatives of the Blue-and-white Flycatcher that you can see in Danum Valley Conservation Area (family Muscicapidae, Old World Flycatchers, Robins, and Chats) are White-crowned Shama (about 50%), Oriental Magpie-Robin (about 40%) and White-crowned Forktail (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Blue-and-white Flycatcher is recorded against all the birds logged in Danum Valley Conservation Area (6 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.
