Identifying Fujian Niltava Niltava davidi

Birds of Muscicapidae are often small, active and male is usually colorful. Identification of adult male flycatcher can be straight forward but not always, like the three blue-and-orange niltava species recorded in HK: Rufous-bellied Niltava Niltava sundara, Large Vivid Niltava Niltava oatesi and Fujian Niltava Niltava davidi.

For these three adult niltava, they have whole blackish bill and bluish flight feather, while first winter birds show pale base of bill and brownish flight feather, sometimes pale tip on wing coverts.

Identifying Large Vivid Niltava from the other two is easy in acceptable view, which the Vivid Niltava lacks glossy blue shoulder and neck patch, and has a more extensive yellowish orange throat forming a "V" shape.

To identify Rufous-bellied and Fujian Niltava, a combination of features is needed. In usual cases, Rufous-bellied Niltava shows much more extensive glossy blue crown and shoulder patch, and have a more extensive orange belly (which its name tells) and vent, and a shorter primary projection. Their songs are also different in theory.

All three species can be recorded in HK. Fujian Niltava mainly breeds in mainland China and is an uncommon passage migrant and winter visitor in HK while the other two are vagrants. Wing Tung and I have seen Fujian Niltava in HK several times and were lucky to take a good identifying shot in 2016 late winter, in an urban park.

Fujian Niltava Niltava davidi