The Narcissus Flycatcher is one of Japan’s most beautiful summer forest birds. In Japanese, it is called キビタキ / Kibitaki. The adult male is strikingly colored, with a glossy black head and back, bright yellow-orange underparts, a yellow eyebrow, and a white wing patch.
The female is much more subtly colored. She has olive-brown upperparts and pale underparts, helping her blend into the forest. Young males can also resemble females before gradually developing their brighter adult plumage.
In Japan, the Narcissus Flycatcher is mainly a summer visitor. It arrives in spring to breed in forests and wooded areas, then migrates south in autumn to spend the winter in warmer parts of Asia.
Habitat: Deciduous forests, mixed woodland, mountain forests, wooded valleys, mature parks and forest edges
Range in Japan: Summer breeding visitor across much of Japan, from Hokkaido to Kyushu
Diet: Flying insects, caterpillars, beetles, spiders, and other small invertebrates
Season: Spring to autumn in Japan; migrates south for winter
Size: About 13–14 cm
Nesting: Nests in tree cavities, holes, or natural gaps in trees
Behavior: Males sing from branches and catch insects with quick flights from a perch
Conservation: Depends on healthy mature forests and suitable nesting cavities
The Narcissus Flycatcher is a brilliant summer visitor to Japan’s forests. The male’s striking combination of black, yellow, orange, and white makes him one of the country’s most beautiful small birds, while the female’s soft olive-brown plumage provides excellent camouflage. During spring and summer, the male sings from the forest canopy and makes quick flights to catch insects. The キビタキ is a treasured symbol of Japan’s rich and vibrant summer forests.
Narcissus Flycatcher キビタキ
The Narcissus Flycatcher is one of Japan's most beautiful and colorful forest birds. The male is especially striking, with a glossy black head and back, bright yellow underparts, and bold white markings on the wings. Females are more subtly colored in olive-brown, but share the species' elegant shape and active behavior.
A summer visitor to Japan, the Narcissus Flycatcher arrives in spring to breed in forests and wooded mountain areas. It spends much of its time moving through the middle and upper levels of the forest, searching for insects. Males often sing from exposed branches, and their clear, melodious songs are a familiar sound of Japan's spring and summer forests.
Category
Flycatchers, Songbirds, Forest Birds, Summer Visitors
IUCN Status
Least Concern
Habitat
Deciduous Forests, Mixed Woodlands, Mountain Forests, Forest Edges
Region
Japan, East Asia, Southeast Asia During Winter
Behavior
Active Insect Hunting, Perch Singing, Forest Foraging, Seasonal Migration
Population
Widespread and Generally Common
キビタキ Narcissus Flycatcher
キビタキは、日本の森林を代表する美しく色鮮やかな夏鳥です。 オスは光沢のある黒い頭部と背中、鮮やかな黄色い腹部、 そして翼の白い模様が特徴的です。メスはオリーブ褐色を基調とした 落ち着いた羽色ですが、優雅な体形と活発な行動が魅力です。
春になると日本へ渡来し、森林や山地の林で繁殖します。 林の中層から上層を飛び回りながら昆虫を探し、オスは目立つ枝に とまって美しい声でさえずります。その澄んだ歌声は、日本の春から 夏にかけての森林を彩る代表的な自然の音のひとつです。
Category
ヒタキ科、鳴鳥、森林の鳥、夏鳥
IUCN Status
低危険種
Habitat
落葉広葉樹林、雑木林、山地の森林、林縁
Region
日本、東アジア、冬季は東南アジア
Behavior
昆虫を捕食、枝でさえずる、森林内で採食、季節移動
Population
広く分布し、全体として普通に見られる
