Photo: James Eaton / CC0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Rusty-bellied Shortwing
Brachypteryx hyperythra
Rusty-bellied Shortwing (Brachypteryx hyperythra) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South & Southeast Asia.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Rusty-bellied Shortwing (Brachypteryx hyperythra) is a member of the Muscicapidae family found in South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 15.8 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Muscicapidae Chats, Old World Flycatchers
- Genus Brachypteryx
- Species hyperythra
Quick facts
- Weight
- 15.8 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Rusty-bellied Shortwing is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Rusty-bellied Shortwing is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Rusty-bellied Shortwing (Brachypteryx hyperythra) is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It is found across South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR e Himalayas, ne India.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 15.8 g, with a wing length of about 6 cm and a tail of around 4 cm.
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 42,000 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Rusty-bellied Shortwing?
The Rusty-bellied Shortwing is a small bird that weighs around 15.8 g.
Where does the Rusty-bellied Shortwing live?
The Rusty-bellied Shortwing is found across South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR e Himalayas, ne India, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Rusty-bellied Shortwing belong to?
The Rusty-bellied Shortwing (Brachypteryx hyperythra) belongs to the Muscicapidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Rusty-bellied Shortwing eat?
The Rusty-bellied Shortwing is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Rusty-bellied Shortwing migrate?
The Rusty-bellied Shortwing is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Rusty-bellied Shortwing endangered?
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
What sound does the Rusty-bellied Shortwing make?
1 real field recording of the Rusty-bellied 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 Rusty-bellied Shortwing's range?
The Rusty-bellied Shortwing has a mapped global range of about 42,000 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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A field guide to the Muscicapidae family — 355 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.