Oriental Magpie-Robin
Copsychus saularis
Habitat
Ground
Diet
Invertebrate
Active Time
Diurnal
Size
36 g
About This Species
A familiar garden and woodland-edge bird across much of tropical Asia, known for its bold presence and rich, melodious song delivered from a prominent perch, often at dawn. It forages on open ground, flicking its long black-and-white tail as it hops after insects, and is active and easy to observe throughout the day. It can be seen year-round and is common in gardens, parks and cultivated land, making it one of the more approachable species to watch.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- This species tolerates people reasonably well in gardens and parks, but a comfortable distance of a few metres should still be kept, particularly around nest sites during the breeding season.
- It is a protected native bird under wildlife law across its range, and capture for the caged-bird trade has pressured wild populations in some areas, so viewing should always be photographic rather than physical.
- Quiet observation from a path or garden edge is sufficient to enjoy its song and behaviour.
LCAvesPasseriformesMuscicapidae
Seasonal Activity
1,160,902 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Muscicapidae
Traits
- Diet
- Invertebrate
- Foraging
- Ground
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Body mass
- 36 g
Photo
(c) Morten Ross, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Morten Ross
CC-BY-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.