Indian Blue Robin

Indian Blue Robin

Luscinia brunnea

Silhouette: Stephan Sprinz · PhyloPic

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
at Horton Plains National Park

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

138 Verified sightings at Horton Plains National Park From 2019 to 2026
502 In all 11 parks
November Best month
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted

About the Indian Blue Robin

The Indian blue robin (Larvivora brunnea) is a small bird found in the Indian subcontinent. Formerly considered a thrush, it is now considered one of the Old World flycatchers in the family Muscicapidae. It was earlier also called the Indian blue chat. It is migratory, breeding in the forests along the Himalayas of Nepal, India, Myanmar and Bangladesh. They winter in the hill forests of the Western Ghats of India and in Sri Lanka.

The Indian blue robin was described by Hodgson who placed it in a new genus Larvivora but it was later placed in the genus Luscinia. A large-sample molecular phylogenetic study published in 2010 found that Luscinia was not monophyletic. The genus was therefore split and several species including Indian blue robin were moved to the reinstated genus Larvivora. Larvivora is a sister of the species Brachypteryx cruralis, Brachypteryx leucophrys and Brachypteryx hyperythra.

The Indian blue robin is similar in size to the related bluethroat at 15 cm long. The adult male has blue upperparts and rufous underparts. A bright white supercilium contrasts with a black mask that continues down the neck. The lower belly and undertail are... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Recording0:11

India · 2014

S.MORE · iNaturalist · CC0

Recording0:33

China · 2023

© Sid Francis · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0

Recording0:44

India · 2023

© dbeadle · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Horton Plains National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
~30%
2 Jiuzhaigou National Park 🇨🇳 China
~10%
3 Eravikulam National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
4 Langtang National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
~10%
5 Sinharaja Forest Reserve 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
~10%
6 Mudumalai National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
7 Periyar National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
8 Wilpattu National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
<5%
9 Minneriya National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
<5%
10 Bandipur National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
11 Yala National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kolkata 🇮🇳 India
<5%
2 Bengaluru 🇮🇳 India
<5%
3 Mumbai 🇮🇳 India
<5%
4 Kathmandu 🇳🇵 Nepal
<5%
5 Pune 🇮🇳 India
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an Indian Blue Robin in Horton Plains National Park?

Possible

About 30% of wildlife watchers report an Indian Blue Robin sighting in Horton Plains National Park on a given day, based on 138 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 30th most-seen of the 102 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 Indian Blue Robin in Horton Plains National Park?

November

In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report an Indian Blue Robin in Horton Plains National Park on a given day, against about 10% in April to August, the lowest months. That is one of Horton Plains National Park's wettest months, with about 350 mm of rain against 80 mm in March.

What time of day is best to see an Indian Blue Robin?

Between 3 and 6 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Indian 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.

Is Horton Plains National Park the best place to see an Indian Blue Robin?

Yes

Of the 11 parks where we can rate Indian Blue Robin sightings, Horton Plains National Park has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come Jiuzhaigou National Park (China, about 10%) and Eravikulam National Park (India, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Indian Blue Robin live in Horton Plains National Park?

Same family: Muscicapidae

The closest relatives of the Indian Blue Robin that you can see in Horton Plains National Park (family Muscicapidae, Old World Flycatchers, Robins, and Chats) are Pied Bushchat (about 90%), Dull-blue Flycatcher (about 80%) and Sri Lanka Whistling-Thrush (about 60%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Indian Blue Robin sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Indian Blue Robin is recorded against all the birds logged in Horton Plains National Park (138 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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