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.
