Japanese Paradise Flycatcher

We have here a Japanese Paradise Flycatcher from the northern ends of the Philippines, from Sabtang Island, one of the islands in the Batanes group. Locally known as Tiwayway, the Japanese Paradise Flycatcher is a rare migrant to the Philippines. The easiest place to see them in the country would be in the Batanes island group during March to August, when they would come to breed. Like most paradise-flycatchers, the Tiwayway builds a cup-shaped nest usually on a fork of a tree. The male birds sport a nice, very long tail (as shown in this video) while the female is similar but lacks the long tail and has more brown in the body (shown in the picture).

The Batanes group of islands is an interesting place to go birding especially for Philippine birders as it has its own set of birds that are found nowhere else in the Philippines. For more information about Batanes birding, drop us an email at our contact page or check out one of Birding Philippines' Trinket Constantino blog here. Japanese Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone atrocaudata April 2014, Sabtang Island, Batanes Island Group, Philippines Video by Adrian Constantino Digiscoped with a Swarovski ATM 80 HD, Panasonic G3 with a Canon 40mm lens coupled with Swarovski Universal Camera Adapter. Reference: A Guide to the Birds of the Philippines by Robert Kennedy, et al.