Tarsiger rufilatus
Silhouette: Martin Bulla, based on François Desbordes' illustration · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
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 |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Himalayan Bluetail sighting in Royal Manas National Park on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 327th most-seen of the 388 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Himalayan Bluetail in Royal Manas National Park on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season. August and September 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.
4th of 5
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Himalayan Bluetail sightings, Royal Manas National Park ranks 4th at under 5%. The best odds are in Jiuzhaigou National Park (China, about 30%), 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 Royal Manas National Park (family Muscicapidae, Old World Flycatchers, Robins, and Chats) are Blue Whistling-Thrush (about 50%), Oriental Magpie-Robin (about 50%) and Verditer Flycatcher (about 40%), 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 Royal Manas 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.
