Photo: Francesco Veronesi from Italy / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Lesser Shortwing
Brachypteryx leucophris
Lesser Shortwing (Brachypteryx leucophris) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South & Southeast Asia.
Found across 8 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Lesser Shortwing (Brachypteryx leucophris) is a member of the Muscicapidae family found in Australia & Oceania and South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 15.8 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 Brachypteryx
- Species leucophris
Where it lives
Montane northwestern India through eastern China and Vietnam, Malay Pen., Sumatra, Java and Bali, and Lombok to Timor and Wetar (west to eastern Lesser Sundas)
Quick facts
- Weight
- 15.8 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Lesser Shortwing is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Lesser Shortwing is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Lesser Shortwing (Brachypteryx leucophris) belongs to the Muscicapidae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Australia & Oceania and South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR, AU montane nw India through e China and Vietnam, Malay Pen., Sumatra, Java and Bali, and Lombok to Timor and Wetar (w to e Lesser Sundas).
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 15.8 g, with a wing length of about 5.7 cm and a tail of around 3.5 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 2.3 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Lesser Shortwing?
The Lesser Shortwing is a small bird that weighs around 15.8 g.
Where does the Lesser Shortwing live?
The Lesser Shortwing is found across Australia & Oceania and South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR, AU montane nw India through e China and Vietnam, Malay Pen., Sumatra, Java and Bali, and Lombok to Timor and Wetar (w to e Lesser Sundas), where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Lesser Shortwing belong to?
The Lesser Shortwing (Brachypteryx leucophris) belongs to the Muscicapidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Lesser Shortwing eat?
The Lesser Shortwing is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Lesser Shortwing migrate?
The Lesser Shortwing is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Lesser Shortwing 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 Lesser Shortwing make?
1 real field recording of the Lesser Shortwing — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Lesser Shortwing's range?
The Lesser Shortwing has a mapped global range of about 2.3 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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How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.
Meet the Muscicapidae
A field guide to the Muscicapidae family — 355 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.