Locally taken photo of the Magpie Robin (Copsychus saularis)...
Classification: Family Muscicapidae (which also includes Thrushes, Flycatchers, Chats).
Magpie Robins are native across the Asian subcontinent from Pakistan to the Philippines, Borneo and Java.
Adults: Length 20-23cm.
Color:
Male: Black head, breast and upperparts; underparts white; tail black with white outer feathers; bold white wingbars.
Female: Back upperparts and breast replaced by dull dark grey.
Juvenile: As in the adult but with mottled brown breast
Diet: Magpie Robins have a varied diet of fruits and animals but are particularly fond of insects and worms. They forage in trees as well as on the ground, where they hop with their tail raised. They also sip nectar.
Breeding: Magpie Robins breed in January to June. Males court females with hearty song, usually at dawn and dusk, moving their tails up and down in tune. They can be very territorial during breeding.
Nesting: They build their nests almost anywhere from thick shrubs, in the fork of branches of small trees, palms (at the base of the palm frond), hollow trees and even near human habitation: under a veranda, in a hole in the wall, in an old tin can, etc. Nests are usually built low. Their nests are large, untidy, shallow cups loosely made from grass or dried leaves, twigs, moss, roots. These are lined with fibres or grass. 3-5 eggs are laid, pale blue or greenish with brown or purple spots.
Incubation: The female incubates, but both raise the young.
Voice: Magpie Robins have a delightful varied song and are said to be able to imitate the calls of other birds. They are sprightly and lively, often cocking their long tails. They are easy to spot as they are not shy and sing from exposed perches. Sometimes, they may abruptly sing at night!
Habits: Non-migratory
Habitat: They prefer open areas such as mangroves, gardens, cultivated areas. They are not found in the deep forest.
Threats: Illegal trapping for the cage-bird trade, competition from the better-adapted Mynas (Acridotheres spp.) and loss of their favoured habitats: mangroves and rural areas.
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