Copsychus malabaricus
The White-rumped Shama (Copsychus malabaricus) is an enchanting passerine bird, renowned for its melodious song and striking appearance, belonging to the Old World flycatcher family (Muscicapidae). Males are particularly resplendent, featuring a glossy blue-black plumage across the head, back, and wings, sharply contrasted by a brilliant white rump and rich rufous underparts. Their most distinctive feature is a remarkably long, graduated tail, often exceeding the body's length, which they fre...
These adaptable birds primarily inhabit dense tropical and subtropical evergreen and deciduous forests, preferring areas with thick undergrowth, bamboo thickets, and riparian vegetation. They are typically found at low to moderate elevations, ranging from sea level up to around 1500 meters.
The diet of the White-rumped Shama consists predominantly of insects and other invertebrates, including beetles, ants, termites, and spiders, supplemented by small fruits and nectar. They forage by gleaning from the ground and foliage, and by catching insects in flight.
White-rumped Shamas are active, diurnal birds, often observed foraging stealthily within the dense understory or bamboo stands. Their foraging strategy involves gleaning insects from foliage and the ground, as well as making agile aerial sallies to catch flying prey. Males are fiercely territoria...
The White-rumped Shama boasts an extensive native breeding range across tropical and subtropical South and Southeast Asia. This includes widespread populations throughout the Indian subcontinent (India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka), extending eastward through Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam,...
Least Concern
- Widely considered one of the finest songbirds in Asia, often incorporating mimicry of up to 10-15 different species into its repertoire. - The male's magnificent graduated tail can be longer than its body, used extensively in courtship displays and territorial defense. - Despite their beauty an...