Terpsiphone paradisi
The Indian Paradise Flycatcher, *Terpsiphone paradisi*, is an exquisitely beautiful passerine bird renowned for its dramatic sexual dimorphism and striking plumage. Adult males are particularly spectacular, sporting incredibly long, ribbon-like central tail feathers that can extend up to 30 centimeters beyond their body, alongside a glossy black head with a prominent crest and a bright blue orbital ring. Males exhibit two primary color morphs: a rufous morph with chestnut upperparts and white...
Found primarily in dense deciduous and semi-evergreen forests, moist woodlands, groves, well-wooded gardens, and bamboo thickets, often near water bodies. It can be found from sea level up to elevations of around 2,000 meters.
Exclusively insectivorous, feeding on a wide variety of flying insects such as flies, moths, butterflies, beetles, and dragonflies, caught predominantly by aerial hawking.
Indian Paradise Flycatchers are diurnal and intensely active, spending their days meticulously foraging for insects. Their primary foraging strategy involves aerial hawking, where they sally out from a perch to snatch flying insects mid-air, returning gracefully to the same or a nearby perch. The...
The Indian Paradise Flycatcher boasts a vast distribution across the Asian continent, extending from Central Asia through the Indian Subcontinent, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia, to parts of China, Korea, and even occasionally Japan. Its breeding range encompasses much of this territory, particula...
Least Concern
- The male's central tail streamers can grow up to 30 cm long, sometimes even exceeding the length of its body, making it one of the longest-tailed birds relative to its size. - Males exhibit two distinct color morphs, rufous and white, with the white morph generally developing after two to three...