Magpie Robin

This is one of the birds which I am sure most of us have seen; if  you have not seen it, you must have at least heard its pleasant lilting call, chwee, chweee….in the early mornings.

The male has a jet black upper body, with a white strip running along the side of its wings, white lower parts and black tail, often jerked in upright position. Female can be identified by its grayish-black color.

It feeds mainly on insects in the trees and on the ground.

All photographs were taken in the vicinity of my residence.

Name	Magpie Robin
Alternate names	Oriental Magpie Robin
Size	Bulbul
Occurrence	Seen near human habitation, singly or in pairs
Status	Common
Distinct features	Jet black head and chest parts, black wings and tail
Male/female	Different; female is duller than male

As seen in the above picture, female is grayish-black and duller when compared to the male. See pictures below for better clarity regarding the differences.