Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China (mainland), India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines (B), Singapore (B), Thailand, Vietnam.
Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).
Asian Fairy-bluebird (Irena puella) [XC369277]
by Marc Anderson from , India (call)
Asian Fairy-bluebird (Irena puella) [XC399896]
by Mike Dooher from , Thailand (call, song)
Nest
Shallow, cup-shaped composed of small twigs or moss, in a sapling or small tree.
Eggs (Guide)
Usually 2; greenish-white with brown markings; 114 x 77 mm.
Subspecies
Formerly considered conspecific with Philippine Fairy-bluebird (Irena cyanogastra). Subspecies andamanica treated as synonymous with nominate by some authors, but differs in having heavier bill. Birds from northern Indian Subcontinent, described as subspecies sikkimensis, considered better treated within nominate. Body size varies with latitude, outer tropical populations of nominate being largest, equatorial crinigera smallest. Subspecies tweeddalei has sometimes been spelt tweeddalii, following very slightly later usage by same author; latter, however, must be rejected as unjustified emendation or incorrect subsequent spelling.
The following 6 subspecies are recognised:
puella (Latham, 1790) - South-western, southern and north-eastern Indian Subcontinent east to extreme southern China (southern Yunnan), southern in continental south-eastern Asia to northern Malay Peninsula and southern Vietnam.
andamanica Abdulali, 1964 - Andaman and Nicobar Is.
crinigera Sharpe, 1877 - Sumatra (including islands off western coast), Bangka, Belitung and Borneo.
turcosa Walden, 1870 - Java.
tweeddalii Sharpe, 1877 - Western Philippines (Calamians, Palawan, Balabac). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Palawan Fairy-bluebird (Irena tweeddalii).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet