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<ref>{{cite journal|author=Whistler, H.|authorlink=Hugh Whistler|year=1933|title= The migration of the Paradise Flycatcher, (''Tchitrea paradisi'')|journal=J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. |volume=36|issue=2|pages=498–499}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite journal|author=Whistler, H.|authorlink=Hugh Whistler|year=1933|title= The migration of the Paradise Flycatcher, (''Tchitrea paradisi'')|journal=J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. |volume=36|issue=2|pages=498–499}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite journal|author=Bates, R.S.P.|year=1932|title= Migration of the Paradise Flycatcher ''Tchitrea paradisi''|journal= J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc.|volume=35|issue=4|pages=896–897}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite journal|author=Bates, R.S.P.|year=1932|title= Migration of the Paradise Flycatcher ''Tchitrea paradisi''|journal= J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc.|volume=35|issue=4|pages=896–897}}</ref>

According Linné’s first description Asian Paradise-flycatcher are distributed in India, [[Bangladesh]], [[Myanmar]] and Sri Lanka. Later, ornithologists watched this spectacular bird in other parts of [[Asia]] and described several subspecies, of which 13 are recognized today.
* T. p. ''leucogaster'' ([[William John Swainson|Swainson]], 1838) breeds in the western [[Tian Shan]], in [[Afghanistan]], in the north of [[Pakistan]], in northwestern and central India, in [[Nepal]]’s western and central regions; populations occurring in the east of Pakistan and in the south of India migrate northward in spring for breeding.
* T. p. affinis ([[Edward Blyth|Blyth]], 1846) inhabits [[Malaysia]] and [[Sumatra]].


Several races are recognized but need further study. In the Western Himalayas race ''leucogaster'' has pale rufous upperparts and white breast and a lot of black on the white wings. Eastern Himalayas race ''saturatior'' has a shorter crest which black shaft streaks on the upperparts of the white-morph male and the rufous-morph male is buffier below and has a rufous vent with not so long tail-streamers. Nominate race in Peninsular India and Sri Lankan race ''ceylonensis'' have very long streamers and crest. The Sri Lankan race is said to lack the white-morph. The nominate race populations from the Eastern Ghats is said to have a larger bill. The race in Central Nicobars ''nicobarica'' has an olive upper mantle and darker underparts.<ref name=rasmussen/>
Several races are recognized but need further study. In the Western Himalayas race ''leucogaster'' has pale rufous upperparts and white breast and a lot of black on the white wings. Eastern Himalayas race ''saturatior'' has a shorter crest which black shaft streaks on the upperparts of the white-morph male and the rufous-morph male is buffier below and has a rufous vent with not so long tail-streamers. Nominate race in Peninsular India and Sri Lankan race ''ceylonensis'' have very long streamers and crest. The Sri Lankan race is said to lack the white-morph. The nominate race populations from the Eastern Ghats is said to have a larger bill. The race in Central Nicobars ''nicobarica'' has an olive upper mantle and darker underparts.<ref name=rasmussen/>

Revision as of 21:38, 16 February 2010

Asian Paradise Flycatcher
Sub-adult male Asian Paradise Flycatcher
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Aves
Order:
Passeriformes
Family:
Monarchidae
Genus:
Terpsiphone
Species:
T. paradisi
Binomial name
Terpsiphone paradisi
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms

Tchitrea paradisi

The Asian Paradise-flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi), also known as the Common Paradise-flycatcher, is a medium-sized passerine bird. It was previously classified with the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae, but the paradise-flycatchers and monarch flycatchers are now placed in the family Monarchidae,[2] [3] and most members of this family are found in Australasia and tropical southern Asia.

Description

Adult Asian Paradise-flycatchers are 19-22 cm long. Their heads are glossy black with a black crown and crest, their black bill round and sturdy, their eyes black. Female are rufous on the back with a greyish throat and underparts. Their wings are 86-92 mm long. Male Asian Paradise-flycatchers change the colour of their plumage in the first few years of their lives. Sub-adult males look very much like females but have a black throat and blue-ringed eyes. As adult they develop up to 24 cm long tail feathers. Their rufous plumage moults into white with the central pair of tail feathers growing up to 30 cm long streamers that droop. There are adults called rufous-morph with rufous wings and tail but white underparts.

Since the early 19th century several subspecies have been described that differ mainly in plumage of males from the species nominated by Carl von Linné in 1758. In the Western Himalayas males have pale rufous upperparts, white breast and a lot of black on the white wings. In the Eastern Himalayas the white-morph males have a shorter crest which black shaft streaks on the upperparts, whereas the rufous-morph males are buffier below with a rufous vent and shorter tail-streamers. In Nicobar Islands they have an olive upper mantle and darker underparts. In Sri Lanka the white form is absent. [4] In Borneo and possibly in Sumba most of the sub-adult male moult directly to white plumage. [5][6]

Habitat and distribution

Asian Paradise-flycatchers inhabit thick forests and well-wooded habitats from Turkestan to Manchuria, all over India and Sri Lanka to the Malay Archipelago on the islands of Sumba and Alor. They are migratory and spend the winter season in tropical Asia. There are resident populations in southern India, hence both visiting migrants and the locally breeding subspecies occur in these areas in winter. [7] [8]

According Linné’s first description Asian Paradise-flycatcher are distributed in India, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. Later, ornithologists watched this spectacular bird in other parts of Asia and described several subspecies, of which 13 are recognized today.

  • T. p. leucogaster (Swainson, 1838) breeds in the western Tian Shan, in Afghanistan, in the north of Pakistan, in northwestern and central India, in Nepal’s western and central regions; populations occurring in the east of Pakistan and in the south of India migrate northward in spring for breeding.
  • T. p. affinis (Blyth, 1846) inhabits Malaysia and Sumatra.

Several races are recognized but need further study. In the Western Himalayas race leucogaster has pale rufous upperparts and white breast and a lot of black on the white wings. Eastern Himalayas race saturatior has a shorter crest which black shaft streaks on the upperparts of the white-morph male and the rufous-morph male is buffier below and has a rufous vent with not so long tail-streamers. Nominate race in Peninsular India and Sri Lankan race ceylonensis have very long streamers and crest. The Sri Lankan race is said to lack the white-morph. The nominate race populations from the Eastern Ghats is said to have a larger bill. The race in Central Nicobars nicobarica has an olive upper mantle and darker underparts.[4]

Other subspecies include incei of China and Siberia, burmae and indochinensis of Myanmar, affinis of Peninsular Malaysis while procera, insularis, borneensis, floris and sumbaensis are insular forms from the islands of Southeast Asia.

Race leucogaster breeds in the foothills of the Himalayas from northern Afghanistan to central Nepal. Race saturatior of Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and eastern Bangladesh is resident but may move to the adjacent plains. Race leucogaster moves to the southern Peninsula in winter. Nominate race is resident in many parts of central India but some winter in Sri Lanka.[4]

Behaviour and ecology

Female leucogaster on nest
Sub-adult male on nest in Andhra Pradesh, India

Asian Paradise-flycatchers are noisy birds uttering sharp skreek calls. They have short legs and sit very upright whilst perched prominently, like a shrike. They are insectivorous and hunt in flight in the understorey. In the afternoons they dive from perches to bathe in small pools of water.

The breeding season is summer (May to July).[9] Three or four eggs are laid in a neat cup nest made with twigs and spider webs on the end of a low branch.[4] The nest is sometimes built in the vicinity of a breeding pair of drongos, which keep away predators. The eggs are incubated by both the male and female. Chicks hatch in about 21 to 23 days.[10] A case of interspecific feeding has been noted with chicks of the Paradise Flycatcher fed by Oriental White-eyes.[11]

Selected photos

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Terpsiphone paradisi.

References

  1. ^ Template:IUCN2006
  2. ^ Éric Pasquet; Alice Cibois; François Baillon and Christian Érard (2002). "What are African monarchs (Aves, Passeriformes)? A phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial genes". Comptes Rendus Biologies. 325 (2): 107–118. doi:10.1016/S1631-0691(02)01409-9.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ "Phylogeny of some Muscicapinae birds based on cyt b mitochondrial gene sequences". Acta Zoologica Sinica. 53 (1): 95. 2007. {{cite journal}}: Cite uses deprecated parameter |authors= (help)
  4. ^ a b c d Rasmussen PC & JC Anderton (2005). Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide. Vol.2. Smithsonian Institution & Lynx Edicions. pp. 332–333.
  5. ^ Owen, D. F. (1963). "The rufous and white forms of an Asiatic paradise flycatcher, Terpsiphone paradisi" (PDF). Ardea. 51: 230–236.
  6. ^ Mizuta, Taku (1998). "Breeding biology of monogamous Asian Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone paradisi (Aves: Monarchinae): A special reference to colour dimorphism and exaggerated long tails in male" (PDF). Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. 46 (1): 101–112. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ Whistler, H. (1933). "The migration of the Paradise Flycatcher, (Tchitrea paradisi)". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 36 (2): 498–499.
  8. ^ Bates, R.S.P. (1932). "Migration of the Paradise Flycatcher Tchitrea paradisi". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 35 (4): 896–897.
  9. ^ Hume, A O (1890). The nests and eggs of Indian birds. Volume 2. R. H. Porter, London. pp. 22–26.
  10. ^ Rashid,SMA; Khan,Anisuzzaman; Ahmed,Raguibuddin (1989). "Some observations on the breeding of Paradise Flycatcher, Terpsiphone paradisi (Linnaeus)(Monarchinae)". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 86 (1): 103–105.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. ^ Tehsin,Raza H; Tehsin,Himalay (1998). "White-eye (Zosterops palpebrosa) feeding the chicks of Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi)". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 95 (2): 348.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

Other sources

  • Lewis,WAS (1942) The Indian Paradise Flycatcher Tchitrea paradisi paradisi (Linn.). Some notes on a colony breeding near Calcutta. Jour. Bengal Nat. Hist. Soc. 17(1):1-8.
  • Inglis,CM (1942) The Indian Paradise Flycatcher Tchitrea paradisi paradisi (Linn.). Jour. Bengal Nat. Hist. Soc. 17(2):50-52.
  • Salomonsen,F (1933). "Revision of the group Tchitrea affinis Blyth". Ibis. 75 (4): 730–745. doi:10.1111/j.1474-919X.1933.tb03360.x.

External links

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