Asian Fairy Bluebird
ASIAN FAIRY-BLUEBIRD
Irena puella
Oriolidae Family
Bird #195 - June 2009
This is a medium sized bird around 9 1/2 inches long. Slightly smaller than a Black-naped Oriole.
We saw this bird under a fruiting Balete tree in Sabang, Palawan on June 2009. It was on the roadside and only stayed for a while.
It is unmistakeable with its black body and strikingly bright blue colors on its crown, hind neck, back, rump and upper tail-coverts.
We saw this bird again in Iwahig Forest, Palawan on May 2011.
There is a proposal to split the species. According to Moltesen et a. 2013 in Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, "Within I. puella there are three distinct clades, which also differ in plumage, and we suggest elevation to species rank also for these. I. p. tweeddalei from Palawan differs from other members of Irena puella by 4.33% mtDNA and is distinct in having brilliant turquoise-blue plumage colours rather than violet-tinted royal blue."
According to the paper, the one found in the Philippines would be split from all other members of Irena puella as Irena puella tweedalei found in Palawan and nearby islands.
The other proposed split is Irena puella andamanica found in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Read MoreIrena puella
Oriolidae Family
Bird #195 - June 2009
This is a medium sized bird around 9 1/2 inches long. Slightly smaller than a Black-naped Oriole.
We saw this bird under a fruiting Balete tree in Sabang, Palawan on June 2009. It was on the roadside and only stayed for a while.
It is unmistakeable with its black body and strikingly bright blue colors on its crown, hind neck, back, rump and upper tail-coverts.
We saw this bird again in Iwahig Forest, Palawan on May 2011.
There is a proposal to split the species. According to Moltesen et a. 2013 in Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, "Within I. puella there are three distinct clades, which also differ in plumage, and we suggest elevation to species rank also for these. I. p. tweeddalei from Palawan differs from other members of Irena puella by 4.33% mtDNA and is distinct in having brilliant turquoise-blue plumage colours rather than violet-tinted royal blue."
According to the paper, the one found in the Philippines would be split from all other members of Irena puella as Irena puella tweedalei found in Palawan and nearby islands.
The other proposed split is Irena puella andamanica found in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
ASIAN FAIRY-BLUEBIRD Irena puella Iwahig Forest, Palawan This bird did not stay for more than 7 or 8 seconds and we need to get a better photo next time. The tail is different from a Drongo, it has bright red eyes and the bright blue on the tail. We hope to encounter it again.
asianfairybluebirdbirdphilippinesresidentasian fairy bluebirdirena puella
