Introduction of Indian Paradise Flycatcher
Indian Paradise Flycatcher
(Female)
Indian Paradise Flycatcher
(Adult male rufous)
The Indian Paradise Flycatchers (Scientific Name :Terpsiphone paradisi) They are found naturally in Asia in extremely large range.
Indian Paradise Flycatchers are a beautiful bird. Size of adult Indian Paradise Flycatchers are between 18 to 22 cm. The length of the tail (adult male) is between 20 to 24 cm, with two central tail feathers growing up to 30 cm long drooping streamers. Their wings are between 3.4 – 3.6 inches (86 – 92 mm) long.
Males paradise flycatcher is found in two morphs or phases, one have a rufous or glossy chestnut upper plumage and another with a white or dirty white plumage. The edges of the wings and tail feathers are sometimes black.Intermediates of both forms also exist. Some birds also molted from rufous into white plumage.
Head of Indian Paradise flycatcher is glossy black with a glossy black crown and crest. They have short legs and sit very upright whilst perched prominently. The bill is round and sturdy and bluish black in color. Eyes are black, and the eye rings are bluish black.
Male Indian Paradise flycatcher have long tail feathers. The long, narrow tail is rounded at the tip, except for the two streamers that droop. This central pair of tail feathers growing up to 20 to 30 cm long drooping streamers. The females are only 20 cm long and lack the tail streamers
Female are rufous on the back with a greyish throat and underparts, and they have short tail with rufous wings and a black head. Females have greyish throat and underpart, the eyes are black with bright bluish rings around the eyes.
Young males lack the two very long central tail feathers, which they acquire in their second or third year.At juvenile stage they look very much like females. Their bodies and wings are rufous and the head, including the throat, is completely black. They have a black throat and blue-ringed eyes.
Habit and habitat
They prefer thick forests and well-wooded habitats. They also found in forest, gardens, shady groves, light deciduous jungle, and bamboo ravines. They are migratory and spend the winter season in tropical Asia.
Distribution
They found in India, Sri Lanka, and Turkestan to Manchuria and west to the Malay Archipelago where they inhabit the islands of Sumba and Alor. There are resident populations in southern India and Sri Lanka, hence both visiting migrants and the locally breeding subspecies occur in these areas in winter
Call
They are quite noisy birds uttering sharp skreek calls. They also call che-che or che-chew or sharp zweet…zweet….
Food
Indian paradise flycatcher is a insectivorous bird. They feed on insects, butterflies and flies. They usually hunt in the understory of densely canopied trees.
Breeding and Nesting
Indian Paradise Flycatcher are socially monogamous.Nesting and breeding season is between March to July. They make a cup like nest by twigs bound together with spider webs and is usually situated on the end of a low tree branch. Both male and female take part in nest-building.
A clutch usually consists of 3 – 4 eggs, which are pale creamy pink with reddish brown in colour. Incubation for about 21 – 23 days. Both parents take part in hatching, brooding and feeding of the young. The incubation period is between 14 to 18 days. Chicks hatch in about 21 to 24 days.
All about Indian paradise flycatcher in wild.: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-BYiNWpklmcps77-NBz6slJcdgDajCQf
My encountering these birds, and all my observations are purely from the wild and each film recording spontaneous from nature direct during 2017 – 2020 in my Sunday birding trips in outskirts of Bangalore.
To make this article more distinct and meticulous, i will be adding Photographs clicked and shared by my batch mate and birding guide, Mr Devadatha Kumar SR(https://www.facebook.com/dath36) . Again, all these photos are captured in the wild nature, outskirts of Bangalore.
Information source: #https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_paradise_flycatcher
photos
Leave a Reply