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Cyornis
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Palawan Blue Flycatcher Cyornis lemprieri Scientific name definitions

Peter Clement
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated January 1, 2006

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Originally Appeared in

HBW Alive

Field Identification

16 cm; 21–22 g. Medium-sized to large forest flycatcher. Male has forehead and upper lores dull cobalt-blue; rest of head and upperparts, including upperwing-coverts (except cobalt-blue lesser coverts) and edges of remiges and tail feathers, dull or dark blue; lores and face black; chin whitish to buff, throat buff, becoming deep orange-rufous on breast and paler on flanks, rest of underparts white; iris dark brown; bill black; legs bluish to purplish-grey. Distinguished from very similar C. rufigastra by slightly paler blue upperparts, brighter blue forehead to over eye and brighter blue patch at bend of wing, also by buff/whitish chin and throat. Female has lower forehead and line along upper lores to eye whitish, lores blackish, broken eyering (above and below eye) also whitish, crown and nape to face grey-brown (may be tinged bluish), merging into olive-brown on upperparts, wings dark brown, edged rufous-brown, tail mostly brownish with light rufous edges, underparts as male except for brownish flanks. Juvenile, undescribed.

Systematics History

Has been considered conspecific with C. banyumas; songs rather similar, and separation based mainly on plumage. Monotypic.

Subspecies

Monotypic.

Distribution

Calauit, Busuanga, Culion, Palawan and Balabac, in W Philippines.

Habitat

Lowland and submontane dry primary and secondary forest, to 1000 m.

Movement

Resident.

Diet and Foraging

Diet little known, but includes small invertebrates. Usually solitary or in pairs. Forages in understorey of forests.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Calls include a series of soft rising and falling whistles, “de do da da do de”, the first note descending and the second rising, also a 4-note “da de do poy”.

Breeding

Season at least Apr–May and birds in breeding condition Apr–Jun. Only one nest found, of dried grass, placed in hollow tree stump; incubation period 15–16 days, nestlings fed by both parents. No other information.

Conservation Status

Conservation status on Birdlife NT Near Threatened
Not globally threatened. Currently considered Near-threatened. Restricted-range species: present in Palawan EBA. Reported to be uncommon or scarce, though generally shy and easily overlooked. Potentially at risk from habitat loss and degradation. Present in St Paul Subterranean River National Park.
Distribution of the Palawan Blue Flycatcher - Range Map
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  • Year-round
  • Migration
  • Breeding
  • Non-Breeding
Distribution of the Palawan Blue Flycatcher

eBird and Macaulay Library

Recommended Citation

Clement, P. (2020). Palawan Blue Flycatcher (Cyornis lemprieri), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.pabfly1.01
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