Pale-blue monarch

Pale-blue monarch
female
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Monarchidae
Genus:	Hypothymis
Species:	H. puella
Binomial name
Hypothymis puella (Wallace, 1863)

The pale-blue monarch (Hypothymis puella) is a small passerine bird.

The pale-blue monarch is endemic to eastern Indonesia. It has two subspecies. The nominate race, H. p. puella, is found on Sulawesi and adjacent islands, and H. p. blasii is found in the Banggai archipelago. Both forms are often considered to be subspecies of the widespread black-naped monarch, Hypothymis azurea.

The pale-blue monarch is a forest species which builds a small cup nest. It has short legs and sits very upright whilst perched prominently, like a shrike. It is insectivorous, often hunting by flycatching.

References

• Clements splits