Small Niltava – a new bird species for Jim’s Jungle Retreat
Small Niltava is a Flycatcher, found in parts of the Indian Subcontinent and in south-east Asia. The male has deep blue coloration to its body with purplish-blue patches on the forecrown and shiny blue patch on the side-neck. The female is brown with a hint of blue around the side of its neck. It feeds on small invertebrates and fruit in deep understory.
The species is found in the foothills of Himalayas from 300m to 2500m and occurs in Corbett Tiger Reserve during the winter months. However, the species is uncommon towards the southern parts of the reserve, especially in Dhela and Jhirna zones.
Recently, a male Small Niltava was recorded for the first time at Jim’s Jungle Retreat by our naturalists Amith Bangre and Manoj Sharma and photographed by Jeewan Rautela.