Tarsiger rufilatus
Silhouette: Martin Bulla, based on François Desbordes' illustration · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%
The Himalayan bluetail (Tarsiger rufilatus), also called the Himalayan red-flanked bush-robin or orange-flanked bush-robin, is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher of Muscicapidae. While currently under review, this taxon is not current recognized as a species by BirdLife international.
It is closely related to the red-flanked bluetail and was generally treated as a subspecies of it in the past, but as well as differing in its migratory behaviour (the red-flanked bluetail is a long-distance migrant), it also differs in the more intense blue colour of the adult males and the greyer colour of the females and juveniles.
The Himalayan bluetail is a short-distance altitudinal migrant species, breeding in the Himalaya in bush layer (dwarf rhododendron in wetter areas, deciduous bushes in drier) of conifer and mixed conifer-oak forest, main species fir (Abies) but sometimes in areas with Picea smithiana or Pinus wallichiana/Cupressus torulosa forest; at 3000–4400 m, not penetrating beyond tree-line and in winters found at 1,500–2,500... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jiuzhaigou National Park | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 2 | Langtang National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal | |
| 3 | Doi Inthanon National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 4 | Royal Manas National Park | 🇧🇹 Bhutan | |
| 5 | Jim Corbett National Park | 🇮🇳 India |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Himalayan Bluetail sighting in Jiuzhaigou National Park on a given day, based on 41 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 26th most-seen of the 131 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.
April and May
In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Himalayan Bluetail in Jiuzhaigou National Park on a given day, against about 10% in November, the lowest month. January to March have too few records to rate.
Between 2 and 5 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Himalayan Bluetail sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
Yes
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Himalayan Bluetail sightings, Jiuzhaigou National Park has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come Langtang National Park (Nepal, about 20%) and Doi Inthanon National Park (Thailand, about 10%).
Same family: Muscicapidae
The closest relatives of the Himalayan Bluetail that you can see in Jiuzhaigou National Park (family Muscicapidae, Old World Flycatchers, Robins, and Chats) are White-throated Redstart (about 50%), Slaty-backed Flycatcher (about 40%) and White-capped Redstart (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Himalayan Bluetail is recorded against all the birds logged in Jiuzhaigou National Park (41 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.
