Oriental Magpie-Robin

Overview

The Oriental magpie-robin (Copsychus saularis) is a small passerine bird formerly classed as a thrush but now considered an Old World flycatcher. It is a common bird across the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, found in both urban gardens and forests.

Identification

• Males are distinctive black and white with a long tail that is held upright when foraging on the ground.
• The species measures 19 cm long and is similar in shape to the European robin but with a longer tail.
• Females are greyish black above and greyish white under, while young birds have scaly brown upperparts.
• Males sing loudly from high perches during the breeding season.

Habitat

This species is a resident breeder in tropical southern Asia, ranging from Nepal, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and eastern Pakistan to eastern Indonesia, Thailand, south China, Malaysia, and Singapore. It inhabits open woodland and cultivated areas, often close to human habitations.

Diet

The diet consists mainly of insects and other invertebrates, though they occasionally take flower nectar, geckos, leeches, centipedes, and even fish. They forage by hopping along branches or searching in leaf-litter on the ground while holding their tail cocked upright.

Did you know?

This bird is the national bird of Bangladesh, where it is widely known as the doyel or doel.