(tarsiger cyanurus or luscinia cyanura)
The identity of the Red-flanked Bluetail, sometimes called the Orange-flanked Bush-robin, is a subject of discussion. Some authorities consider it to be tarsiger cyanurus and a member of the Thrush family; others consider it to be luscinia cyanura and a member of the Old World Flycatcher family.
It has a wide breeding distribution ranging all the way from Eastern Finland through the taiga belt to the Pacific coast and Japan. It winters in a wide distribution in SE Asia. In Japan it is both a winter migrant and a summer breeder. The male bird photographed here was found in a small park in Karuizawa where it was being regularly fed by a local resident and hence was very tame. We did find other birds in various wooded locations at Karuizawa and also at Lake Miike on Kyushu.