White-rumped Shama

Copsychus malabaricus Order: PASSERIFORMESFamily: Thrushes (Turdidae)

Related Birds

Western Bluebird
Varied Thrush
Eastern Bluebird
Elegant Trogon
Eared Quetzal

General

White-rumped Shama: Native to Southeast Asia. Glossy blue-black head, nape, back, and upperbreast. Wings and tail are black. Rump and outer tail feathers are white, belly and lowerbreast are rufous. Bill is black. Sexes are similar, female has shorter tail, is not glossy, and is more dull in color. Juvenile has brown upperparts with cinnamon spots and two wingbars, underparts are pale and mottled. Rump and outer tail feathers are white, tail close to full length after one month.

Range and Habitat

White-rumped Shama: Introduced to Kauai in 1931, Oahu in 1940 and Maui in the late 1900s in an effort to supplement the native fauna. They are commonly found in valley forests and on the ridges of the southern Ko'olaus. Indigenous to southeast Asia, India, and some Indonesian Islands.

Voice Text

"tck"

Interesting Facts

The White-rumped Shama is also called Shama Thrush or White-rumped Shama Thrush because it was formerly placed in the Thrush family, Turdidae.
One of the first recordings ever made of birdsong was of this species. Ludwig Koch of Germany recorded a captive bird in 1889 using an Edison wax cylinder.
They are very territorial, and males with longer tails may have larger territories.
A group of flycatchers has many collective nouns, including an "outfield", "swatting", "zapper", and "zipper" of flycatchers.

Author

Crystal Adams

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

White-rumped Shama

White-rumped Shama: Native to Southeast Asia. Glossy blue-black head, nape, back, upperbreast. Black wings, tail. Rump and outer tail feathers are white. Rufous belly, lowerbreast. Black bill, pink legs and feet. Long tail enables it to change directions quickly in the dense underbrush it prefers.

● Song: "tck"

● Foraging & Feeding: White-rumped Shama: Forages on the ground or among low branches. Primarily feeds on insects and earthworms, occasionally eats fruit.

● Breeding & nesting: White-rumped Shama: Three to five pale blue-green eggs, heavily marked with red-brown splotches, are laid in the cavity of a tree. Incubation ranges from 13 to 15 days and is carried out by the female. Chicks fledge 12 to 13 days after hatching.

● Similar species: White-rumped Shama: Not likely to be confused with any other species.

Flight Pattern

● Range & Habitat: White-rumped Shama: Introduced to Kauai in 1931, Oahu in 1940 and Maui in the late 1900s in an effort to supplement the native fauna. They are commonly found in valley forests and on the ridges of the southern Ko'olaus. Indigenous to southeast Asia, India, and some Indonesian Islands.

^BreedingMonogamous

^PopulationCommon but local

^MigrationNonmigratory

^Weight1.12, 1.12 Ounces

Field Guide to Birds of North America