In my previous posting of the White Rumped Shama I mentioned that a recent article appeared in Tamil papers about the sighting of two bird species not normally seen in these parts. The earlier posting was about the White Rumped Shama, this posting is about the second bird, the Indian Blue Robin.
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| Female Adult Indian Blue Robin |
The migratory Indian Blue Robin generally chooses for its winter habitat dense and dark forest with undergrowth and leaf litter thus indicating, as the report points out, the improved quality of the forest around Arunachala.
The Indian Blue Robin (Luscinia Brunnea) is a small bird found in South Asia. The bird is also known in the Indian subcontinent by its older name of Indian Blue Chat (Erithacus brunneus).
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The Indian Blue Robin (Luscinia Brunnea) is a small bird found in South Asia. The bird is also known in the Indian subcontinent by its older name of Indian Blue Chat (Erithacus brunneus).
The Indian Blue Robin is similar in size to the sparrow. Formerly considered а Thrush, іt іs nоw considered оne оf the Old World Flycatchers іn the family Muscicapidae.
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| Male Adult Indian Blue Robing scavenging for food |
Although this bird is no longer is no longer categorised as a Thrush, it shares a large number of Thrush characteristics. Below is a fascinating excerpt from “Garden and Aviary Bird of India”, by Frank Finn (1915).
“Thrushes form a very large family of birds, for in addition to the fairly large species to which the term Thrush is usually applied, the small Robins, Chats and Redstars are included in it. All these birds have a strong family resemblance, but their general appearance is hard to describe. They have a neat well-proportioned form, with wings, tail and legs, all of moderate length as a rule and their bills are small and slight.
Observation shows that Thrushes are usually surly and solitary and they never take hold of things with their foot, but only use their bill in breaking up a large insect. They are mainly insect-eaters, but the larger species also devour a considerable amount of fruit. They are good fliers, many of them being migratory and fairly active on the ground, where the smaller kinds hop, while the large ones alternatively hop and run. “
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| Male Indian Blue Robin |
The Indian Blue Robin іs migratory, breeding іn the forests along the Himalayas оf Nepal, India аnd Myanmar and wintering in the hill forests of the Western Ghats оf India аnd іn Sri Lanka.
The adult male is a stunning bird, with blue upperparts, and underparts which are mainly bright orange with white on the lower belly and undertail. There is a long white supercilium and a black eye mask which flares out behind the eye. The female is much drabber, with brown upperparts and buff underparts, and white on the throat and belly. Young birds resemble the female, but the brown plumage looks scaly.
Its winter habitat in the South is usually dense and dark forest with undergrowth and leaf litter. It is terrestrial, forest haunting and unobtrusive. It skulks in undergrowth and hops on the ground, frequently flicking and fanning its tail. It Keeps singly in heavy undergrowth. The Indian Blue Robin diet consists mainly of insects.
It sings and calls in its winter grounds. The song consists of sudden and sharp series of whistles ending in a rapid series of notes. They also utter a sharp and low clicking alarm note.
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| Male Indian Blue Robin |
Its nest consists of a large cup of vegetation placed on the ground between the roots of large fir tree or in depression. The nest is lined with roots, hair and down. The usual clutch is four light blue eggs. Incubation is by female by feeding is by both sexes. The cuckoo Cuculus canorus has been recorded in old literature as a brood parasite of the species.
To hear the Blue Robin calling please check out this link here.
The below video (no audio) is of the Indian Blue Robin scavenging on the ground for food.
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