Alternative names: Père David's Orange-throat; Fire-throated Robin
- Calliope pectardens
Identification
14cm. A distinctive bird with a longish thin bill.
Male
- Dark slaty blue above
- Glowing orange throat and breast bordered by black stripe from bill-base to upper flanks
- Small white patch at side of neck
- Black tail with white in base
Photo by Kshounish Sankar Ray
North 24 Parganas district, West Bengal, India, March 2012
Female
- Plain dark olive-brown face with a thin weak paler eye-ring
- Dark warm brown upperparts
- More russet on rump and tail
- Generally buffy below
Similar species
Females are very similar to Indian Blue Robin and Siberian Blue Robin. Note bill length, leg colour, more russet rump and tail and more unifromly buffy tinge below.
Distribution
Breeds in southern China (mountains of southeast Tibet east to southwest Gansu, western Sichuan and northern Yunnan).
Winters in northeast India, one record from Burma. Recorded as a vagrant in Bangladesh.
Rare. Recent records only from Wolong Panda Reserve but much of range remote and rarely visited by birders.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Formerly placed in genus Luscinia.
Habitat
Breeds in dense thickets, montane forest and scrub including bamboo at 2800 - 3700m.
Winters in thick streamside undergrowth.
Behaviour
No information about breeding.
Diet
Feeds on insects, forages on the ground.
Vocalisation
Recording by china guy, Sichuan, June 2011
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2013. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.8., with updates to August 2013. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliot, and D Christie, eds. 2005. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 10: Cuckoo-Shrikes to Thrushes. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8487334726
- Rasmussen, PC and JC Anderton. 2005. Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8487334672
- Avibase
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Firethroat. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 3 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Firethroat
