Pale-blue monarch
| Pale-blue monarch | |
|---|---|
_female_on_nest.jpg) | |
| female | |
| Conservation status | |
| 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.