Bird name:

White-rumped Shama

Copsychus malabaricus

Order

PASSERIFORMES

Family

Thrushes (Turdidae)

Code 4

WRSA

Code 6

COPMAL

ITIS

179832

Breeding Location:

Bushes, shrubs, and thickets

Breeding Type:

Monogamous

Breeding Population:

Common but local

Egg Color:

Pale blue-green, heavily marked with red-brown splotches.

Number of Eggs:

3 - 5

Incubation Days:

13 - 15

Egg Incubator:

Female

Nest Material:

Leaves, grass, and twigs

Migration:

Nonmigratory

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General

White-rumped Shama: Native to Southeast Asia. Glossy blue-black head, nape, back, and upperbreast. Wings and tail are black. Rump and outer tail feathers are white, belly and lowerbreast are rufous. Bill is black. Sexes are similar, female has shorter tail, is not glossy, and is more dull in color. Juvenile has brown upperparts with cinnamon spots and two wingbars, underparts are pale and mottled. Rump and outer tail feathers are white, tail close to full length after one month.

Range and Habitat

White-rumped Shama: Introduced to Kauai in 1931, Oahu in 1940 and Maui in the late 1900s in an effort to supplement the native fauna. They are commonly found in valley forests and on the ridges of the southern Ko'olaus. Indigenous to southeast Asia, India, and some Indonesian Islands.

Breeding and Nesting

White-rumped Shama: Three to five pale blue-green eggs, heavily marked with red-brown splotches, are laid in the cavity of a tree. Incubation ranges from 13 to 15 days and is carried out by the female. Chicks fledge 12 to 13 days after hatching.

Foraging and Feeding

White-rumped Shama: Forages on the ground or among low branches. Primarily feeds on insects and earthworms, occasionally eats fruit.

Vocalization

White-rumped Shama: Song is loud, clear, and melodious, males sing throughout the year, females sing during breeding season. Known to mimic other species. Responds to disturbances with a "tck" call.

Similar Species

White-rumped Shama: Not likely to be confused with any other species.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Underparts

Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.

Upperparts

Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.

Belly

The ventral part of the bird, or the area between the flanks on each side and the crissum and breast. Flight muscles are located between the belly and the breast.

Nape

Also called the hindneck or collar, it is the back of the neck where the head joins the body.

Outer tail feathers

The tail feathers farthest from the center.

Rump

The area between the uppertail coverts and the back of the bird.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America