Pied bushchat

Saxicola caprata

Photo by J.M. Garg (Wikipedia)

Common name:
pied bushchat (en); cartaxo-malhado (pt), tarier pie (fr); tarabilla pálida (es); mohrenschwarzkehlchen (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae

Range:
This Asian species is found from southern Kazakhstan, Afghanistan and eastern Iran, through Pakistan, India and Nepal, and into southern China, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines and Papua-New Guinea.

Size:
These birds are 13-14 cm long and have a wingspan of 21-23 cm. They weigh 13-17 g.

Habitat:
The pied bushchat is found in a wide range of habitats, including various types of scrublands, dry savannas, grasslands, marshes and swamps, river margins, plantations, rural gardens and arable land. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.400 m.

Diet:
They are insectivorous, hunting insects from a perch. Their prey includes moths and whiteflies.

Breeding:
These birds breed in February-August. They nest in a hole in a wall, which is lined with dry grass. The female lays 2-6 eggs which she mostly incubates alone for 12-13 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 10-11 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common to locally abundant. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.