Copsychus pyrropygus
The Rufous-tailed Shama (Copsychus pyrropygus) is a strikingly beautiful songbird belonging to the Old World flycatcher family (Muscicapidae), renowned for its vibrant plumage and melodious song. Measuring approximately 18-21 cm in length, including its prominent tail, and weighing 25-35 grams, this species is easily identified by its contrasting coloration. Adults display dark slate-grey to black upperparts, head, and breast, sharply delineating from a clean white belly and vent. Its most di...
Found primarily in the dense undergrowth of tropical and subtropical moist lowland forests, including primary and secondary growth, often near water sources, typically below 1000 meters elevation.
Feeds mainly on a variety of insects (beetles, ants, termites, caterpillars) and other invertebrates (spiders, worms), supplemented occasionally with small fruits or berries found in the forest understory.
The Rufous-tailed Shama is a diurnal species, active from dawn to dusk, and typically roosts solitarily in dense vegetation. It is predominantly a ground forager, employing a 'scratch and flick' technique with its feet to unearth insects from leaf litter and loose soil. Males are highly territori...
The Rufous-tailed Shama is endemic to the Sundaic region of Southeast Asia, inhabiting the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo. Its range extends across southern Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Indonesia (Sumatra, Kalimantan, and other Borneo regions), and Brunei. This species is non-migratory an...
Least Concern
- The Rufous-tailed Shama's scientific name, 'pyrropygus,' literally means 'fire-rumped' or 'red-rumped,' a direct reference to its strikingly colored tail. - Renowned for its exceptionally beautiful and complex song, which includes varied phrases and sometimes mimicry of other forest birds. - De...