Madagascar Magpie-Robin

Overview

The Madagascar magpie-robin (Copsychus albospecularis) is a species of chat in the Old World flycatcher family, Muscicapidae. This bird is endemic to Madagascar, where it is found across the island with a distribution that varies in density depending on the habitat.

Identification

• Length of approximately 18 cm with a weight between 21 and 24 g.
• Males of the nominate subspecies are all-black with a white shoulder patch, while males of other subspecies exhibit more white on the wings and abdomen.
• Females display a grey-brown crown, back, and tail, a grey breast and throat, and rufous wings and rump, with those of the pica subspecies being much paler overall.

Habitat

This species occupies a wide range of habitats across Madagascar, including scrubland, dry monsoon forest, humid rainforest, forest edges, mangroves, and secondary growth. It also thrives in agricultural areas such as gardens and banana, coffee, and eucalyptus plantations, ranging from sea level up to 1,800 m.

Diet

The Madagascar magpie-robin feeds on insects such as cockroaches, beetles, bugs, and grasshoppers, as well as spiders, earthworms, small lizards, amphibians, and berries. Foraging occurs near the ground, with females feeding more regularly on the ground and males feeding higher in the undergrowth, sometimes joining mixed-species flocks.

Did you know?

Nests are constructed in cavities or dense vegetation and are lined with unusual materials including rootlets, snakeskin, and the hair of lemurs or cattle. The average clutch size is three eggs, which are incubated for approximately 13 days.