Black and Orange Flycatcher

The black and orange flycatcher( Ficedula nigrorufa), is a jewel in the crown of the western ghat birds. This bird is found in the high elevation plateaus above 1500m areas of the Nilgiris, Palani Hills, Biligiriranga Hills and Kannan Devan Hills. It lives in the shola forests of the Wsetern ghats in South India. It prefers areas with lots of leaf litters nd undergrowth. they are distinctly black headed with black wings. The female has the black replaced by dark brown and has a light eye- ring. They are usually seen in singly or in pairs. It is unique among the Ficedula flycatchers in having rufous coloration on its back and prior to molecular studies was related to the chats and thrushes.

Last updated: March 31, 2025