Tephrodornis sylvicola
The Malabar Woodshrike, *Tephrodornis sylvicola*, is a charming passerine bird endemic to the Western Ghats of India, belonging to the recently recognized family Tephrodornithidae. Measuring approximately 18-20 cm (7-8 inches) in length and weighing around 25-35g, it sports a distinctive greyish-brown plumage on its upperparts, contrasting with clean white underparts. A prominent black eye-stripe, often referred to as a mask, is sharply delineated by a clear white supercilium, serving as a ke...
Found primarily in dense evergreen and moist deciduous forests, often preferring the mid-storey and canopy. It thrives in well-wooded areas, including sholas, secondary growth, and forest edges, typically at elevations from foothills up to about 1200 meters, occasionally higher.
Mainly insectivorous, feeding on a variety of insects including caterpillars, beetles, grasshoppers, and spiders. They forage primarily by gleaning prey from leaves and branches, with occasional aerial sallies.
Malabar Woodshrikes are diurnal and typically encountered singly, in pairs, or small family groups, often participating in mixed-species foraging flocks alongside babblers, drongos, and other insectivores. Their foraging strategy involves actively gleaning insects from foliage and bark, meticulou...
The Malabar Woodshrike is entirely endemic to the Western Ghats mountain range in peninsular India. Its distribution extends from the extreme southern portions of Maharashtra, through the states of Goa, Karnataka, and Kerala, reaching its southernmost limit in the Ashambu Hills of Tamil Nadu. It ...
Least Concern
- Despite its name, the Malabar Woodshrike is not a true shrike; it does not impale its prey on thorns or barbed wire, relying instead on gleaning and sallying for insects. - It is strictly endemic to the Western Ghats mountain range in India, making it a prized sighting for birders visiting the ...