The
Black-naped monarch is about 14cm long, and though the coloring
of the males is slightly different from the females, they
both have brilliant blue plumage. Males have a blue head,
neck, back, and upper chest, the area below their belly is
grayish-white, and the inner part of their upper beak is black.
Part of its Chinese name, "hei1 zhen3," literally
means "black pillow," and comes from the round black
spot attached to the back of their head that looks like a
black pillow. The male also has a black stripe around its
throat. Females are slightly lighter, have a bit of grayish-brown
mixed in their backs, and have neither the male's "black
pillow" nor black stripe. Females also have a bluish
tint to both their wings and tail feathers, as well as a grayish-blue
head, neck, and chest.
Behavior:
Black-naped
monarchs have a call consisting of a series of short, upbeat
whistles, and like other birds of the Muscicapidae family,
they only eat insects and are very good at targeting and catching
them in the air. Males are known for the black stripe that
they have on the back of their head. Their plumage is sapphire
blue, and combined with their tiny builds, has won them the
nickname of "blue fairies of the forest." Black-naped
monarchs are territorial birds, and their breeding season
begins toward the end of spring and lasts until mid-summer.
Because of their weak and tiny legs and feet, they often sit
in a squatting position when perching. However, they are active
and nimble birds often seen alone or in pairs, chasing one
another among thick branches or through river valleys.
Habitat:
Black-naped
monarchs are a sub-species of bird endemic to Taiwan commonly
seen in mixed forests below 1600m or in bamboo forests in
river valleys. They usually move around in the middle and
upper levels of forest trees, but during the summer, will
relocate to the mountains at higher elevations in order to
avoid the heat.
