A rare bird listed in the Red Book of Turkmenistan, the paradise flycatcher, was spotted again on Aug. 18, 2026, near the city of Serhetabat in the Tagtabazar district of Mary province, Turkmenistan’s Ministry of Environmental Protection reported Thursday.
The bird was spotted near a well surrounded by dense trees. According to available data, the paradise flycatcher had previously been recorded in the vicinity of Serhetabat only in May 1961 and 1964. Its reappearance in the region decades later is of significant scientific interest.
The paradise flycatcher is slightly larger than a sparrow and has a long tail and a prominent crest. Its head and throat are dark blue with a metallic sheen, while its back and tail are a rich reddish-chestnut color. Its wings are dark gray and its underside is gray. Its legs are bluish-gray, while the bare ring around its eyes has a bluish tint.
The birds arrive in Turkmenistan in May to breed and leave for their wintering grounds from mid-August to mid-September. Their wintering range includes parts of South, Southeast and East Asia, including northeastern China, the Korean Peninsula, the Russian Far East, India, Pakistan and southern Afghanistan.
Natural factors can sometimes cause the bird to change its usual route, and its appearance in unexpected locations provides opportunities to study new areas of its range. Identifying and protecting such areas could help increase the population of this rare bird in the wild.
Turkmenistan is home to 410 bird species, 39 of which are listed in the national Red Book. In the country, the paradise flycatcher is mainly found in forested gorges with water sources in the Koytendag State Nature Reserve.
