Plumbeous water redstart
{{Short description|Species of bird}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Plumbeous water redstart
| image = Rhyacornis fuliginosus - Doi Inthanon.jpg
| image_caption = Male in Doi Inthanon National Park, Thailand
| image2 = Plumbeous Water Redstart imported from iNaturalist photo 14421754 on 22 June 2024.jpg
| image2_caption = Female in Plover Cove Country Park, Hong Kong
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| genus = Phoenicurus
| species = fuliginosus
| authority = Vigors, 1831
| synonyms = *Rhyacornis fuliginosus
- Rhyacornis fuliginosa
}}
The plumbeous water redstart (Phoenicurus fuliginosus) is a passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. It is found in South Asia, Southeast Asia and China. Males are slate blue in colour, while females are grey. The bird's common name refers to its colour which resembles lead. They tend to live near fast-moving streams and rivers.
Taxonomy
The plumbeous water redstart belongs to the order Passeriformes and the family Muscicapidae. It was previously placed in the genus Rhyacornis but was moved to Phoenicurus based on the results of a molecular phylogenetic study published in 2010.{{cite journal | last1=Sangster | first1=G. | last2=Alström | first2=P. | last3=Forsmark | first3=E. | last4=Olsson | first4=U. | year=2010 | title=Multi-locus phylogenetic analysis of Old World chats and flycatchers reveals extensive paraphyly at family, subfamily and genus level (Aves: Muscicapidae) | journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution | volume=57 | issue=1 | pages=380–392 | doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2010.07.008 | pmid=20656044| bibcode=2010MolPE..57..380S }}{{cite web| editor1-last=Gill | editor1-first=Frank | editor2-last=Donsker | editor2-first=David | title=Chats, Old World flycatchers | work=World Bird List Version 6.2 | url=http://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/chats/ | publisher=International Ornithologists' Union| access-date=20 May 2016 }} The species consists of two recognized subspecies – Phoenicurus fuliginosus fuliginosus and Phoenicurus fuliginosus affinis. The former was described by Nicholas Aylward Vigors in 1831, while the latter was described by William Robert Ogilvie-Grant in 1906 and is found in Taiwan.{{cite web|title=Plumbeous Water-redstart (Rhyacornis fuliginosa)|url=http://ibc.lynxeds.com/species/plumbeous-water-redstart-rhyacornis-fuliginosa|year=2003|work=Handbook of the Birds of the World|publisher=Internet Bird Collection|access-date=December 3, 2013}} In China, the female and first-year male redstarts appear more brown at the top, leading to the possibility of classifying them as a separate race tenuirostris.
Description
The plumbeous water redstart is typically {{convert|14|cm}} long in total,{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A1I71swoU1QC&q=plumbeous+water+redstart&pg=PA291|title=Trekking Nepal: A Traveler's Guide|publisher=The Mountaineers Books|year=2011|last1=Bezruchka|first1=Stephen|last2=Lyons|first2=Alonzo|pages=291|access-date=December 3, 2013|isbn=9781594854101}} with an average weight of {{convert|22|g}} for males and {{convert|18.8|g}} for females.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TcnOTPILlcEC&q=%22Rhyacornis+fuliginosa%22&pg=PA397|title=CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses|edition=Second|publisher=CRC Press|date=December 5, 2007|last=Dunning|first=John B. Jr.|pages=397|access-date=December 3, 2013|isbn=9781420064452}} The male birds are slate blue in colour with a tail that is rusty red.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DqAHweWRUs0C&q=plumbeous+water+redstart&pg=PA150|title=The Valley of Kashmir|publisher=Asian Educational Services|year=1895|last=Lawrence|first=Walter Roper|pages=150|access-date=December 3, 2013|isbn=9788120616301}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=snscAQAAIAAJ&q=plumbeous+water+redstart|title=The Hong Kong Naturalist, Volumes 7–8|publisher=Newspaper Enterprise Limited|year=1936|last=Herklots|first=Geoffrey Alton Craig|pages=150|access-date=December 3, 2013}} On the other hand, female birds are pale grey and feature a white rump.
Habitat
The bird is found in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wk-vyrNVAccC&q=plumbeous+water+redstart&pg=PA538|title=Distribution and Taxonomy of Birds of the World|publisher=Yale University Press|year=1990|last1=Sibley|first1=Charles Gald|pages=538|access-date=December 3, 2013|isbn=9780300049695}}{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/fieldguidetobird00john|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/fieldguidetobird00john/page/10 10]|quote=plumbeous water redstart.|title=A Field Guide to the Birds of China|publisher=Oxford University Press|date=June 8, 2000|last1=MacKinnon|first1=John Ramsay|access-date=December 3, 2013|isbn=9780198549406}} Their preferred habitats are streams, nullahs and rivers{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/himalayanenchant0000king|url-access=registration|quote=plumbeous water redstart.|title=Himalayan Enchantment: An Anthology|publisher=Serindia Publications, Inc.|year=1990|last=Ward|first=Francis Kingdon|pages=[https://archive.org/details/himalayanenchant0000king/page/173 173]|access-date=December 3, 2013|isbn=9780906026229}} with boulders that are shaded,{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KTXxAQAAQBAJ&q=plumbeous+water+redstart&pg=PA140|title=Hills and Streams: An Ecology of Hong Kong|publisher=Hong Kong University Press|date=July 1, 1994|last1=Dudgeon|first1=David|last2=Corlett|first2=Richard|pages=140|access-date=December 3, 2013|isbn=9789622093577}} as well as vegetation near riverbanks. Streams with higher populations of insects such as mayflies appear to be preferred.{{cite journal|last1=Manel|first1=Stéphanie|last2=Dias|first2=Jean-Marie|last3=Ormerod|first3=Steve J.|date=August 17, 1999|title=Comparing discriminant analysis, neural networks and logistic regression for predicting species distributions: a case study with a Himalayan river bird|journal=Ecological Modelling|volume=120|issue=2–3|pages=337–347|doi=10.1016/S0304-3800(99)00113-1|bibcode=1999EcMod.120..337M }} {{registration required}}
They are typically found at relatively high elevations, with the ones living in the Himalayas seen between {{convert|2000|m}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W88pkms1dXEC&q=plumbeous+water+redstart&pg=PA108|title=Himalayan Wildlife, Habitat and Conservation|publisher=Indus Publishing|date=January 1, 1992|last=Negi|first=Sharad Singh|pages=108|access-date=December 3, 2013|isbn=9788185182681}} and {{convert|4100|m}}. However, they tend to descend to lower altitudes during the winter.
The plumbeous water redstart has been placed on the Least Concern category of the IUCN Red List, as the population has remained stable throughout the last ten years. The size of its distribution range is over {{convert|5100000|km2}}.{{cite web|title=Plumbeous Water-redstart (Rhyacornis fuliginosa)|url=http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=6660|year=2013|publisher=BirdLife International|access-date=December 3, 2013}}
Behavior
The plumbeous water redstart is very protective of its habitat{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7-GgBoivL70C&q=plumbeous+water+redstart&pg=PA422|title=Birds of East Asia|publisher=A&C Black|date=January 14, 2009|last=Brazil|first=Mark|pages=422|access-date=December 3, 2013|isbn=9780713670400}} and will be extremely confrontational to any trespasser on its territory. In order to catch flies in rivers, it flies vertically until it is at least {{convert|20|ft}} above the water, before gliding down in a spiral back to the same place.
Gallery
Plumbeous water redstart (Rhyacornis fuliginosus fuliginosus) male 2.jpg|male, Godawari, Lalitpur, Nepal
Plumbeous water redstart (Rhyacornis fuliginosus fuliginosus) female composite.jpg|female, showing tail flick
File:Plumbeous Water Redstart (male).JPG|Male, Chaffi, Nainital, Uttarakhand
File:Rhyacornis fuliginosus.ogv|male calling
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Phoenicurus fuliginosus}}
- [http://ibc.lynxeds.com/species/plumbeous-water-redstart-rhyacornis-fuliginosa Plumbeous water-redstart videos and photos] on the Internet Bird Collection
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20140102192010/http://orientalbirdimages.org/search.php?Bird_ID=2604 Oriental Bird Images: plumbeous water redstart] Selected images
- [http://www.xeno-canto.org/species/Rhyacornis-fuliginosa Xeno-canto: plumbeous water redstart] Sound recordings
{{Spoken Wikipedia|En-plumbeous water redstart-article.ogg|date=2013-12-03}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q27075686}}
Category:Birds of the Himalayas
Category:Birds of Eastern Himalaya
Category:Birds of Central Asia