Here’s a detailed overview of the Oriental Magpie-Robin (Copsychus saularis), one of Asia’s most familiar and melodious songbirds — often seen in gardens, forests, and parks across South and Southeast Asia.

🐦 **Oriental Magpie-Robin (Copsychus saularis)**

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Muscicapidae (Old World flycatchers)
Genus: Copsychus
Species: C. saularis

Common Names

Oriental Magpie-Robin
Indian Robin (historical usage)
Doyel or Doel (Bangladesh, where it is the national bird)

Description

A small, elegant bird with a distinctive black-and-white plumage and a long, expressive tail. Known for its beautiful and varied song, especially during the breeding season.

Length: 19–21 cm
Wingspan: 25–30 cm
Weight: 30–40 g
Plumage:
- Male: Glossy black upperparts, white underparts, and a prominent white wing patch. Tail is long and black with white outer feathers.
- Female: Greyish-black upperparts and duller underparts (grey-white instead of pure white).
- Juvenile: Brownish-grey with speckled breast.
Bill: Slender, black.
Eyes: Dark brown.
Legs and feet: Blackish-grey.

Distribution

Widespread in South and Southeast Asia, including:
- India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, southern China, and the Philippines.
Introduced populations exist in parts of the Middle East and Australia (rare escapees).

Habitat

Found in a wide range of habitats, including:
- Open forests and woodland edges
- Parks, gardens, and plantations
- Mangroves and scrublands
- Urban and rural areas
Common from lowlands up to 1,500 m, occasionally higher in hilly regions.

Behavior

Active and confident; often perches upright with tail cocked upward.
Frequently sings from exposed perches, rooftops, or tree branches.
Territorial during the breeding season — males defend their area vigorously.
Flight: Fast and direct with shallow wingbeats.

Diet

Primarily insectivorous, feeding on:
- Beetles, grasshoppers, caterpillars, ants, and other small invertebrates.
Also eats earthworms, spiders, and occasionally small lizards or berries.
Forages mainly on the ground, hopping and flicking its tail while searching for prey.

Breeding

Breeding season: February to July (varies with region).
Nesting sites: Tree holes, crevices in walls, drainpipes, or nest boxes.
Nest: Cup-shaped, made of grass, leaves, roots, and twigs, lined with hair or soft materials.
Clutch size: 3–5 eggs.
Eggs: Pale blue or greenish with brown speckles.
Incubation: About 10–12 days, mainly by the female.
Fledging: Chicks leave the nest after 2 weeks, both parents feed them.

Song and Calls

Renowned for its rich, melodious song — often a series of clear, fluty whistles.
The male sings vigorously at dawn and dusk, especially during the breeding season.
Known to mimic the calls of other birds and even mechanical sounds in urban areas.
Common calls: “chee-ree-chee”, “wee-wee”, or “twee-twee”.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List: 🟩 Least Concern
Populations are stable or increasing in most areas.
Locally protected in several countries due to past trapping for the cage-bird trade.

Cultural Significance

National bird of Bangladesh, symbolizing beauty and melody.
Featured in local folklore, poetry, and postage stamps.
In Thailand and Myanmar, considered a sign of good fortune when nesting near homes.

Interesting Facts

The male’s tail-raising display is used both in courtship and territorial defense.
Highly adaptable — thrives in urban gardens and temple grounds.
Despite being small, its song can be heard hundreds of meters away.
Acts as a natural pest controller, reducing garden insect populations.

In Krabi, Thailand

In Krabi and southern Thailand, the Oriental Magpie-Robin is common year-round, especially around gardens, forest edges, and mangrove fringes.

Often seen perched on fences or low branches, singing early in the morning.
During the breeding season (March–June), pairs can be observed building nests in wall crevices or coconut palms.