Myiomela albiventris
Silhouette: Martin Bulla, based on François Desbordes' illustration · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5%
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 |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a White-bellied Blue Robin sighting in Periyar National Park on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 205th most-seen of the 227 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a White-bellied Blue Robin in Periyar National Park on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
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.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate White-bellied Blue Robin sightings, Periyar National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Eravikulam National Park (India, about 70%).
Same family: Muscicapidae
The closest relatives of the White-bellied Blue Robin that you can see in Periyar National Park (family Muscicapidae, Old World Flycatchers, Robins, and Chats) are Malabar Whistling-Thrush (about 60%), Oriental Magpie-Robin (about 50%) and Asian Brown Flycatcher (about 20%), 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 Periyar National Park (9 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.
