Scientific name Tarsiger Higher classification Old World flycatcher Order Passerine | Family Muscicapidae Phylum Chordata Rank Genus | |
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Lower classifications Red‑flanked bluetail, Collared bush robin, Golden bush robin, White‑browed bush robin, Rufous‑breasted bush robin | ||
Tarsiger cyanurus female
Tarsiger is a genus of six species of birds in the family Muscicapidae. They are small, mostly brightly coloured insectivorous birds native to Asia and (one species) northeastern Europe; four of the six species are confined to the Sino-Himalayan mountain system. The genus has sometimes been included within the related genus Luscinia, but the species have been found to form a distinct monophyletic group.
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The genus name Tarsiger is from Ancient Greek tarsos, "flat of the foot" and Latin gerere, "to carry".
The genus contains the following species:
Until recently, the Himalayan bluetail was treated as a subspecies of the red-flanked bluetail. It was split on the basis of its more intense plumage colours, and its ecology and behaviour, being a short-distance altitudinal migrant not a long distance migrant.