Old World Flycatchers (Muscicapidae)

Dark-sided Flycatcher (Muscicapa sibirica) - HBW 11, p. 115

French: Gobemouche de Sibérie German: Rußschnäpper Spanish: Papamoscas Siberiano
Other common names: Siberian/Sooty Flycatcher; Himalayan Flycatcher (cacabata)

Taxonomy: Muscicapa sibirica J. F. Gmelin, 1789, Lake Baikal, Russia.
Geographical variation not well marked; in S Asia there is a cline of increasing darkness of upperparts from W to E, many individuals not assignable to race, and the recognition of more than one taxon (gulmergi and cacabata) from this area is questionable. Four subspecies currently recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

sibirica J. F. Gmelin, 1789 - breeds C & SE Siberia (E to Kamchatka), NE Mongolia, NE China (S to Nei Mongol, N Liaoning and Jilin), N Korea and Japan; non-breeding Taiwan, S China (Guangxi, Guangdong, S Fujian), Indochina and N Borneo.
gulmergi (Stuart Baker, 1923) - breeds NE Afghanistan and N Pakistan (NW Himalayas).
cacabata Penard, 1919 - breeds C & E Himalayas E to S China (S Xizang), Bhutan and NE India (Assam hills); non-breeding S Myanmar and S Thailand.
rothschildi (Stuart Baker, 1923) - breeds C & S China (SE Qinghai, SE Gansu and S Shaanxi S to E Xizang and Sichuan), N & W Myanmar and NW Vietnam; non-breeding S China (SE Yunnan E to Guangdong), Indochina, Malay Peninsula and Sumatra.