Ashy Minivet Pericrocotus divaricatus Scientific name definitions

18–21 cm; 20–28 g. Male has white forecrown , narrow black forehead band, black from lores to behind eye, across ear-coverts and extending over rear crown and nape; rest of head-sides and narrow half-collar at neck-sides white; upperparts, including lesser and median wing-coverts, uniform steel-grey; greater coverts and remiges sooty black, greater coverts tipped and edged steel-grey, outer webs of tertials and inner secondaries steel-grey, white spot on inner webs of P8–P1, on outer webs of P5–P1 and on both webs of secondaries (forming visible patch on closed wing); central pair of rectrices black, others black with broad white tips; chin, throat and underparts white, underwing-coverts mottled grey and white; iris brown; bill and legs black. Differs from P. cantonensis in having rear head black, white forehead patch not extending behind eye, entire upperparts pure grey, visible wing patch, entirely white underparts. Female is like male, but black on head replaced by grey (except on lores and forehead), underparts duller white. Juvenile has more sooty-coloured upperparts with white feather fringes; immature like female, but greater coverts tipped white, tertials and inner secondaries boldly tipped and edged white, breast-sides and flanks finely and obscurely barred pale grey.

SE Siberia (S from C Amurland), NE China (mainly Heilongjiang and Jilin), Korea and Japan; non-breeding mainly SE Asia, Sumatra, Borneo and Philippines, also regularly India.

Evergreen and deciduous forests, secondary growth, woodland and areas with scattered trees; also mangroves, mixed peatswamp-forest, beach vegetation, casuarinas (Casuarina), plantations, open country, large parks and even in towns, especially on passage and in winter. Mainly in canopy, seldom on lower branches of trees, or even on ground. May occur in virtually any tree/open-area ecotone with scattered suitable cover. Sea-level mainly to 1300 m, but to 1600 m in Japan.

Long-distance migrant, present on breeding grounds May–Sept in Siberia and mid Apr–Sept in Japan (but small numbers apparently winter on Kyushu); migrates through Manchuria and Korea, Japan, Ryukyus, E China, Taiwan (small numbers also winter there), with one (recent) record in Mongolia (2 Ariunbaatar, B., Buuveibaatar, B. and Otgonsuren, A. (2017). First record of Ashy Minivet Pericrocotus divaricatus for Mongolia. BirdingASIA. 27: 118–119. Close ); recorded on passage also N Vietnam (W & E Tonkin) and Cambodia. Commonly migrates during day, also at night; passage recorded Hong Kong Mar–Apr and Sept–Oct. Main non-breeding grounds in SE Asia (mostly S parts), Greater Sundas and Philippines; occurs in Peninsular Malaysia and Philippines Sept–Apr, and recorded in Sumatra mid Oct to late Jan. Regular but scarce non-breeding visitor to India, especially C peninsula, W Khandesh and Bombay, but also recently in NE; rare but regular visitor to C & SE Bangladesh (first recorded 1993), but only vagrant to Nepal, Bhutan (Apr 2012) and Andaman Is; one Sept record from N Sulawesi.

Diet mainly small invertebrates, including caterpillars (Lepidoptera) and, especially, flying insects, but no documented details; has been recorded foraging in fruiting fig (Ficus) trees in winter, but no reports of fruit-taking. Forages in treetops, usually at outer edge of canopy; gleans larvae from leaves and branches, and catches adult insects in flight. Often occurs in flocks , typically smaller than 20 individuals but up to 300 at roosts, especially in winter quarters, with groups of up to 100 on migrating together; commonly joins mixed-species flocks in winter, including those with P. igneus.

Has metallic, jingling, somewhat cicada-like and rapidly ascending trill , e.g. “hirihirihirin” or “dee-dee-dee-dee-de”, sometimes with a hesitant or tinkling quality, “tsure re re … reee” or “hii-rii-rii”; flight call a rather unmelodious ascending “tchu-de tchu-dee-dee tchu-dee-dee”.

Breeds May–Jun in Siberia; May–Jul in Japan. Nest built by female, accompanied by and sometimes assisted by male, a cup of grass stems, cedar needles and lichens, often bound with cobwebs, placed 7–8 m above ground, in fork of horizontal tree branch. Eggs 4–5, rarely up to seven; incubation 17–18 days; no information on nestling period.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Fairly common in China; recently listed as Vulnerable in Japan, where fairly common but local and declining since the 1980s, with records N to Hokkaido, and on Izu Is; no recent information on status in SE Siberia, but formerly common there and has occurred on Sakhalin. In non-breeding season, uncommon to locally common in SE Asia and uncommon and sporadic in Philippines; few records Sumatra or Borneo (mid Oct to mid Apr); occurs in several protected areas, e.g. Kaeng Krachan National Park, in Thailand, and Nam Bai Cat Tien National Park, in Vietnam.