Photo: Dibyendu Ash / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Rufous-bellied Niltava
Niltava sundara
Rufous-bellied Niltava (Niltava sundara) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South & Southeast Asia.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Rufous-bellied Niltava (Niltava sundara) is a member of the Muscicapidae family found in South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 21.1 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Muscicapidae Chats, Old World Flycatchers
- Genus Niltava
- Species sundara
Quick facts
- Weight
- 21.1 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Rufous-bellied Niltava is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Rufous-bellied Niltava is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Rufous-bellied Niltava (Niltava sundara) belongs to the Muscicapidae family of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR Himalayas to Thailand.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 21.1 g, with a wing length of about 8.2 cm and a tail of around 6.8 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 2.5 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Rufous-bellied Niltava?
The Rufous-bellied Niltava is a small bird that weighs around 21.1 g.
Where does the Rufous-bellied Niltava live?
The Rufous-bellied Niltava is found across South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR Himalayas to Thailand, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Rufous-bellied Niltava belong to?
The Rufous-bellied Niltava (Niltava sundara) belongs to the Muscicapidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Rufous-bellied Niltava eat?
The Rufous-bellied Niltava is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Rufous-bellied Niltava migrate?
The Rufous-bellied Niltava is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Rufous-bellied Niltava endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Rufous-bellied Niltava make?
1 real field recording of the Rufous-bellied Niltava — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Rufous-bellied Niltava's range?
The Rufous-bellied Niltava has a mapped global range of about 2.5 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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Meet the Muscicapidae
A field guide to the Muscicapidae family — 355 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.