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Less than Sparrow. Old male of Red-flanked Bluetail is determined unmistakably by the grey-blue upperparts, especially bright on lesser wing coverts and upper tail coverts; the flanks are rusty. The autumn plumage is same color but the blue on the head and back is marked by olive-grey edges on feathers. In 2nd year male the coloration as in female: the tail is bluish, the rest of the upperparts are olive-gray, the flanks are rusty, narrow eye-ring is white, throat and belly are whitish, the breast is with unclear dark band. Some of the males has female-like color all their lives (grey-olive morph). Juveniles are like the juvenile Bluethroat or Robins, olive-brown pale mottled; but they are well distinguishable by the blue tail. Weight 12-18 gr, length about 12-15, wing 7.0-8.4, wingspan 21-24 cm.

Distribution

Distribution: mainly the taiga regions of the Far East and Siberia. In the European part, the breeding range is not continuous, it is located in the northern taiga.

Biology

This species breeds in taiga forest, with a preference for old-growth mossy moist spruce (Picea) tracts with fallen trees and sparse undergrowth, often on hilly slopes, but also pine (Pinus) and mixed forests with birch (Betula).

References

В.К.Рябицев. "Птицы Урала, Приуралья и Западной Сибири". Екатеринбург, Изд-во Уральского университета, 2000.
Полный определитель птиц европейской части России / Под общей редакцией д.б.н. М. В. Калякина: В 3 частях. - Часть 3. М.: ООО "Фитон XXI", 2014.
BirdLife International (2021) Species factsheet: Tarsiger cyanurus. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 16/09/2021.