Alternative names: Straits Robin, Magpie Robin
- Copsychus saularis
Identification
19–21 cm (7½-8¼ in); including long tail
- Black upperparts, head and throat
- White shoulder patch, underparts and tail side
Females
- Grey upperparts
- Greyish white underparts
Juveniles have scaly brown upperparts and head
Variation
Males in Borneo have an all black belly.
Distribution
Southern Asia from Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Borneo, Indonesia and south China. Possible spread north into Afghanistan with probably the first sighting for the country in Camp Bastion, Helmand on 2nd April 2012.
Taxonomy
Philippine Magpie-Robin was formerly included in this species.
Subspecies
16 subspecies are recognized[1]:
- C. s. saularis: Lowlands of Pakistan to northern and western India
- C. s. ceylonensis: South-eastern India and Sri Lanka
- C. s. erimelas: North-eastern India to Myanmar, Thailand and Indochina
- C. s. andamanensis: Andaman Islands
- C. s. prosthopellus: Southern China (Sichuan to mouth of Yangtze River and Hainan)
- C. s. musicus: Peninsula Thailand, Malaysia and Sumatra
- C. s. nesiotes: South-eastern Sumatra, Rhio Archipelago, Belitung and Bangka islands
- C. s. zacnecus: Simeulue Island (off Sumatra)
- C. s. nesiarchus: Nias Island (off Sumatra)
- C. s. masculus: Batu Islands (Pini, Tello and Tana Massa)
- C. s. pagiensis: Mentawi Archipelago, Siberut and Sipoura islands (off Sumatra)
- C. s. javensis: Western Java
- C. s. amoenus: Eastern Java and Bali
- C. s. problematicus: South-western and western Borneo
- C. s. adamsi: Northern Borneo, Banggi and adjacent islands
- C. s. pluto: Eastern Borneo and Maratua Islands
Habitat
Open woodland, cultivated areas and around human habitation.
Behaviour
Action
They hop on the ground with a frequently cocked tail.
Breeding
The build their nests in a hole, often in a wall. The clutch consists of 3-6 eggs which are incubated by both sexes.
Diet
Their diet consists mostly of crickets, particularly crickets, beetles, caterpillars, ants, wasps and termites.
Vocalisation
The male sings from a perch during the breeding season. It is a loud, tuneful, song.
In the recording here one male sitting high up on a Pine tree is giving song with a variety of intervening calls.
<flashmp3>oriental_magpie-robin_alok.mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program
Recording by Alok Tewari
Sat Tal, Dist. Nainital, Alt. 5500-6000 feet above MSL, India, April-2015
References
- Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
- Birdforum thread discussing the possible split of Philippine Magpie-Robin
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved July 2015)
- Wikipedia
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Oriental Magpie-Robin. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 17 June 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Oriental_Magpie-Robin
External Links
