Plumbeous Water Redstart
Phoenicurus fuliginosus
A delightful companion of mountain watercourses, the Plumbeous Water Redstart is a small chat. The male is uniform slate-blue with a rusty-red tail, and the female is greyish-brown.
Species Ecological Profile
Sourced from high-confidence eBird and regional field surveys
Fast-flowing mountain streams, rocky riverbeds, lake inlets, and damp boulder-strewn shorelines up to 2,500m.
Insectivorous. Forages on aquatic insects, beetles, caddisflies, and water larvae. Darts in swift loops from wet rocks to snap insects off the water surface.
Resident. Moves between upper high-altitude streams in summer and descends to Naukuchiatal lake shorelines and streams during freezing winters.
April to July. Builds a compact cup nest of green moss, rootlets, and animal wool, tucked into rock crevices, earthen embankments, or under local footbridges.
Ubiquitous along the stream inlets and rocky margins of Naukuchiatal lake. The male is easily spotted constantly tail-fanning and bobbing on rocks.
Photographic Log
Visual field records captured in Naukuchiatal (Click to enlarge)
