Description of Asian paradise flycatcher – Terpsiphone paradisi

Asian paradise flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi) complete detail – updated. Description of Asian paradise flycatcher – Terpsiphone paradisi. Classification of Asian paradise flycatcher. Habit and habitat of Asian paradise flycatcher. They prefer thick forests and well-wooded habitats. They also found in forest, gardens, shady groves light deciduous jungle, and bamboo ravines.

Distribution of Asian paradise flycatcher. Asian paradise flycatcher is a beautiful bird. Size of adult Asian paradise flycatcher is between 18 to 22 cm. They prefer thick forests. They are socially monogamous. Males occur in two morphs, one with 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. Head of Asian 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 Asian Paradise-flycatcher have long tail feathers with a 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…………. 

Nesting and breeding season is between March to July. The cup nest is made out of twigs bound together with spider webs and is usually situated on the end of a low tree branch, and both sexes take part in nest-building. Eggs 3 to 5, pale creamy pink with reddish brown in color. Both sexes take part in……………..

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Distinctive Identification

Asian paradise flycatcher is a Schedule – IV bird, according to wildlife (Protection) act, 1972 and classified as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN.

Asian paradise flycatcher is a beautiful bird. Size of adult Asian paradise flycatcher is 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. They have a wingspan of 86 cm. to 92 cm.

Males occur in two morphs, one with 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.

Head of Asian 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 Asian Paradise-flycatcher have long tail feathers with a 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 are rufous and have short tails and lack the two very long central tail feathers (look very much like females). They acquire long tails in their second or third year. They have a black throat and blue-ringed eyes.

Classification

Common Name – Asian paradise flycatcher

Local Name – Dudhraj or shah bulbul

Zoological Name – Terpsiphone paradisi

Kingdom – Animalia

Phylum – Chordata

Class – Aves

Order – Passeriformes

Family – Monarchidae

Genus – Terpsiphone

Conservational Status – Schedule – IV, according to wildlife (Protection) act, 1972 and classified as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN.

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.

They are migratory and spend the winter season in tropical Asia.

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 spend the winter season in tropical Asia.

They are quite noisy birds uttering sharp skreek calls. They also call che-che or che-chew or sharp zweet…zweet….

Asian paradise flycatcher is a insectivorous bird. They feed on insects, butterflies and flies. They usually hunt in the understory of densely canopied trees. Asian Paradise Flycatcher are socially monogamous.

Click here to view State wise list of Indian state animals (symbols) – updated

Nesting and breeding season is between March to July. The cup nest is made out of twigs bound together with spider webs and is usually situated on the end of a low tree branch, and both sexes take part in nest-building.

Eggs 3 to 5, pale creamy pink with reddish brown in color. Both sexes take part in incubation, brooding and feeding of the young. The incubation period is between 14 to 18 days. Chicks hatch in about 21 to 24 days.