Amur Paradise-Flycatcher Terpsiphone incei Scientific name definitions

Male c. 20–22 cm (excluding elongated central rectrices of up to 30 cm), female 17·5–21 cm; 16–23 g. Male has entire head and nuchal crest glossy black, violet-tinged deep chestnut upperparts, upperwing and tail (central rectrices exceedingly long), contrasting greyish breast, and white belly and vent; iris brown, eyelid wattle bright blue; bill greyish blue with blackish tip (sometimes with pinkish-white base and tip in autumn), mouth greyish blue; legs greyish blue. Occurs also in a much less common white morph . Female is similar in plumage pattern, but has shorter tail which lacks elongated central feathers. Juvenile resembles female, but has somewhat scaly-looking appearance.

Until recently considered conspecific with T. paradisi, T. affinis and T. floris, but molecular study (1 Fabre, P. H., M. Irestedt, J. Fjeldså, R. Bristol, J. J. Groombridge, M. Irham, and K. A. Jønsson (2012). Dynamic colonization exchanges between continents and islands drive diversification in paradise-flycatchers (Terpsiphone, Monarchidae). Journal of Biogeography 39(10):1900–1918. Close ) suggests otherwise. Differs from T. paradisi in its much shorter crest (3); smaller bill (allow 2); darker chestnut upperparts (1); female with hood (3). From T. affinis in its darker chestnut upperparts in female and male rufous morph (1); female with white vs pale rufous vent (2); female with hood (3); shorter, shallower bill (allow 1). From T. floris in its much darker chestnut upperparts in female and male rufous morph (2); white vs pale to darkish buff lower breast and belly in female (1); much shorter tail in female (at least 2); shorter, shallower bill (ns[1]); and shorter crest in both sexes, this not being correlated with size (1). Has been suggested as being conspecific with T. atrocaudata, because the two hybridize, but interbreeding is very limited as ranges barely overlap; further study needed. Monotypic.

C, NE, E & SE China, Russian Far East (S Ussuriland) and N Korea; non-breeding mainly SE Asia.

Chiefly small winged insects, such as dipterans, neuropterans, hemipterans, coleopterans, lepidopterans and Odonata; occasionally spiders (Araneae). Capable of seizing very large prey, such as praying mantis (Mantis), Chrotogonus grasshoppers, sphengid moths and Papilio butterflies. Large prey items battered to death, and only thorax and abdomen swallowed. Mostly observed alone or in pairs; will join mixed-species flocks in understorey, but in winter is mainly observed in midstorey to canopy. Perches upright on lookout, often high in shady trees, and hawks for insects in quick sallies in mid-air, after capture looping back to same tree or different one; gleaning from foliage far less common. Occasionally descends close to forest floor.

Song poorly documented, a series of repeated upslurred whistles or a more complex pattern of three notes repeated, “pi-whee-whee-pi-whee-whee-pi-whee-whee...” or “ti-wu-wu-ti-wu-wu-ti-wu-wu...”; considered to be slightly slower-paced than song of T. affinis. Frequently heard call is a two-note raspy nasal “ryeeh-reh”, the first note distinctly upslurred; not audibly different to call of T. affinis.

Season May–Jul. Nest built by both sexes, a neat, deep, cone-shaped cup of grasses, fine roots, plant fibres and a few leaves, bound together with spider web and thickly plastered with spider web and egg cases, lined with rootlets and vegetable down; in C China external diameter 6–8·8 cm, height 6·3–9·5 cm, internal diameter 4·9–6·4 cm, depth 2·9–4·1 cm; placed usually 1–6 m (sometimes higher) above ground, typically in horizontal fork of tree or sapling, or woven around vertical hanging branch, often bits of web and leaf form a hanging “tail” below cup. Clutch 4–5 eggs; incubated by both sexes, starting with last egg, period 13–16 days; both adults also feed chicks, nestling period 9–12 days.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Generally common throughout range. Fairly common in China; rare in S Ussuriland, in Russian Far East. No evidence for any declines, nor any indication of significant threats.