The White-rumped Shama, Copsychus
malabaricus, of the Family Muscicapidae is a thrushlike bird, about 10 inches long, with a long black tail with some white tail feathers. The sexes are alike, but the female is paler. The upperparts are glossy black above and orange chestnut below. The rump is white. The bill is black as are the eyes. The feet are pink.
This is a Southeast Asian bird found in dense forests and vegetated habitats. It can also be found in the Indian subcontinent. It is poached for the cagebird trade. It has been introduced to the Hawaiian Islands and Taiwan. It is active mostly at dawn and twilight. It feeds on mostly insects and some fruit in the wild.
The song is a varied series of loud whistles and melodious notes, often involving mimicry of other birds. The call is a sharp tsick.
The Shama come together during the breeding season and have their own territories when not breeding. The female builds the nest, which is built with twigs and grasses, in a tree hollow. Its white to light aqua oval eggs are blotched brown. Clutch size usually 4 or 5 eggs, which are incubated by the female for 12 to 15 days. Both parents feed the young, which fledge in about 12 days.
photo of White-rumped Shama courtesy Nova Development Art Explosion.
