Madagascar Magpie-Robin
Copsychus albospecularis
Elegant, robin-like bird with a long tail. Males are bluish-black and white. Females are brown and buff. Both sexes show a white slash in the wing. There is regional variation: western birds have white in the tail and more white in the wing; northeastern males have a black belly. Common Madagascar endemic that is found in the understory of all forest types, as well as in scrub, plantations, and gardens. Pretty song is a conversational phrase of whistles, whines, and rattles. Much larger than African Stonechat, and usually doesn’t sit in the open. Females separated from female rock-thrushes by their white wing patch.
Identification
The Madagascar magpie-robin is around 18 cm (7 in) in length and weighs 21 to 24 g (0.74–0.85 oz). The plumage varies by sex; the male of the nominate subspecies has all-black plumage with a white shoulder patch and the female has a grey-brown crown, back and tail, grey-breast and throat and rufous wings and rump. The males of the other two subspecies have more white of the wings and a white abdomen; the female of C. a. pica is much paler overall.
Taxonomy
The Madagascar magpie-robin is closely related to the Seychelles magpie-robin and the Oriental magpie-robin, and may form a superspecies with them. The species is endemic to Madagascar, where it is found across the island. Its distribution is sometimes scattered, as it occupies a wide range of habitats and can be very common or fairly rare depending on this. Three subspecies have been described: the nominate subspecies from northeastern Madagascar, C. a. inexpectatus from eastern and southeastern Madagascar and C. a. pica , which occupies the rest of the country. There is, however, considerable overlap between the subspecies and the exact boundaries between their ranges is unclear.
- Scientific name
- Copsychus albospecularis
- Authority
- (Eydoux & Gervais, 1836)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Genus
- Copsychus
Range and habitat
Madagascar magpie-robins occupy most of the habitats available on the island, from scrubland to dry monsoon forest, humid rainforest, forest edge, mangrove forests, secondary growth, as well as a variety of agricultural land including gardens, banana, coffee and eucalyptus plantations. They can be found from sea level to 1,800 m (5,900 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Bird Calls
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