The Black Naped Monarch

Meet the Black-naped Monarch (Hypothymis azurea), a small but striking insect-hunter of Sri Lanka’s forest canopy. Males are recognised by their pale blue plumage, dark nape patch and fine black collar, while females are more subtly coloured in olive-brown tones.

Quick and agile, this species moves through dense foliage in search of insects, often joining mixed-species feeding flocks as they travel through the rainforest. In Sri Lanka, the endemic subspecies Hypothymis azurea ceylonensis is associated with well-wooded habitats such as Sinharaja.

At Rainforest Ecolodge, moments like these reward those who slow down, look carefully and listen to the canopy.