ANIMAL: Oriental Magpie-Robin Copsychus saularis Type of Animal: Songbird Habitat: Open woodland, cultivated areas, gardens, parks, areas near human habitation, bush areas, mangroves, forests, can be found as high as 6,561.68 ft Location(s): Native to S & SE Asia & S & SE China. Introduced to Australia. Appearance: Male has black/blue-black upper body/head/throat w/ long black fan-like tail w/ white outer feathers & black wings w/ 2 long white wing bars & white shoulder patch/tail sides/belly, females grayish-black to dull dark gray above & grayish-white below w/ dull dark gray tail, Sri Lankan & S Indian nominate subspecies have less sexual dimorphism than other varieties, Andaman Islands race females darker/heavier billed/shorter tailed, females of nominate form palest, both sexes have black bill/dark eyes/blackish legs/feet, juveniles somewhat resemble females but w/ scaly head/upperparts & mottled brown throat/breast Food/Diet: Insects, insect larvae, flower nectar, leeches, centipedes, small lizards, earthworms, snails, plant matter, fruit, seeds, spiders, crabs, fish Status in Wild: Stable Conservation: Breeding in zoos & wildlife centers Lifestyle: Solitary or male-female pairs Additional Info: Called: Male: Cock Female: Hen Young: Chick Group: Pair Weight: Male: 1.48 oz Female: 1.09 oz Gestation: 2 weeks Life Span: 8-10 years in wild, 10-15 years in captivity Height: Male: 8.26 in Female: 7.48 in Body Length: Male: 8.26 in Female: 7.48 in Tail Length: Male: 2.4 in Female: 2 in Also called Dhyal/Dhayal/Dyal Thrush. Variant name is Bengali Doyel/Doel. Known as Polkichcha in Sri Lanka. Neighbors often vary somewhat in song but overall has melodious whistling song, especially male. Male territorial display involves puffing up feathers, raising/fanning tail, & strutting. If that doesn’t work, chasing & fighting occur. Besides song, they have territorial calls, emergence/roosting calls, threat calls, submissive calls, begging calls, & distress calls. Typically forages on ground, hopping w/ raised tail but sometimes feeds up high as well. Though often found near human areas, they’re rather shy, especially outside of breeding season. Females shier than males. Females usually lay 2-5 eggs. Usually build loose cup-shaped nests. Fun Fact(s): Often catch flying insects in mid-air. Sometimes bathe in rainwater collected on tree leaves. National bird of Bangladesh. In fact, landmark in Dhaka named Doel Chattar (Doel Square). Can imitate other bird calls, often incorporating them into own songs. Popular cagebirds due to whistling song, especially males. Males sometimes used for fighting as well.
