Andaman Shama

Overview

The Andaman shama (Copsychus albiventris) is a small, non-migratory bird endemic to the Andaman Islands. It is classified as a restricted-range species and was previously considered a subspecies of the white-rumped shama.

Identification

• Small bird with a body shape similar to a thrush, featuring white underparts and slightly reddish flanks.
• Upperparts range from pale orange to warm brown, with a body size indicated by male tails measuring 117–122 mm and female tails measuring 98–106 mm.
• Central tail feathers are black and extend slightly beyond the white outer tail feathers.
• Vocalizations consist of short, low-pitched phrases with a small number of notes.

Habitat

Found in subtropical or tropical dry and moist lowland forests, scrub, gardens, and vegetated ravines, often near water sources. It inhabits areas influenced by human land use, including agricultural land and urban environments, across at least ten islands in the Andaman archipelago where the terrain is not smaller than approximately 3.6 km².

Did you know?

Nests are constructed from grass and dry bamboo leaves, lined with softer materials such as roots and rhizomorphs, and are usually placed in broken tree stumps or crevices less than three meters above the ground.