Myiomela albiventris
Silhouette: Martin Bulla, based on François Desbordes' illustration · PhyloPic
In 3 days >90%
The white-bellied blue robin (Sholicola albiventris) or white-bellied sholakili, is a bird of the family Muscicapidae. It is endemic to the Shola forests of the higher hills of southern India. The Nilgiri blue robin and this species were once considered separate species, later lumped as sub-species of a single species (major) and elevated again to full species in 2005 by Pamela C. Rasmussen. The species was earlier thought to be related to the shortwings and placed in the genus Brachypteryx and later moved to Myiomela since species in the genus Brachypteryx show marked sexual dimorphism. In 2017, a study found that this is a sister group of the flycatchers in the genera Niltava, Cyornis and Eumyias among others. It was then placed in newly erected genus Sholicola. This small bird is found on the forest floor and undergrowth of dense forest patches sheltered in the valleys of montane grassland, a restricted and threatened habitat.
This chat-like bird is long-legged and appears chunky with its short tail and wing. Although sharing similar habits and shape, the two species differ in plumage and both may show slight sexual dimorphism. Differences in iris colour between... Wikipedia →
Recording0:45
India · 2023
© dbeadle · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:28
India · 2026
© rajesh rocky · iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eravikulam National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Periyar National Park | 🇮🇳 India |
Very likely
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a White-bellied Blue Robin sighting in Eravikulam National Park on a given day, based on 287 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 5th most-seen of the 116 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January and July
In those months about 80% of wildlife watchers report a White-bellied Blue Robin in Eravikulam National Park on a given day, against about 40% in March, the lowest month.
Between 5 and 8 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White-bellied Blue Robin sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate White-bellied Blue Robin sightings, Eravikulam National Park has the highest daily chance: about 70%. Next come Periyar National Park (India, under 5%).
Same family: Muscicapidae
The closest relatives of the White-bellied Blue Robin that you can see in Eravikulam National Park (family Muscicapidae, Old World Flycatchers, Robins, and Chats) are Pied Bushchat (about 70%), Nilgiri Flycatcher (about 60%) and Malabar Whistling-Thrush (about 50%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the White-bellied Blue Robin is recorded against all the birds logged in Eravikulam National Park (287 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.
