- Pied Bushchat
Taxobox
image_width = 200px
name = Pied Bushchat
status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1
regnum =Animal ia
phylum = Chordata
classis =Aves
ordo =Passeriformes
familia =Muscicapidae
genus = "Saxicola "
species = "S. caprata"
binomial = "Saxicola caprata"
binomial_authority = Linnaeus,1766 The Pied Bushchat "Saxicola caprata" is a smallpasserine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be anOld World flycatcher , Muscicapidae. It, and similar smallspecies in the family, are often called chats.It is a resident breeder in tropical southern
Asia from theGreater Middle East throughPakistan ,India andBangladesh eastwards toIndonesia andPapua New Guinea . It is found in open habitats like scrub, rough grassland and cultivation. It builds its nest in a hole in a wall or similar site, and lays 2-5 eggs.The Pied Bushchat is slightly smaller than the
Siberian Stonechat , "Saxicola maura", although it has a similar dumpy structure and upright stance. The male is black except for a white rump, wing patch and lower belly. The males of the race "S. c. bicolor" have vermiculated dark grey upperparts. This species is apparently fairly close to the European-African Stonechat complex (Wink "et al.", 2002).The female has dark brown upperparts and rufous underparts and rump. She has no white wing patches. Juveniles are similar to females.
This species is insectivorous, and like other chats hunts from a prominent low perch.
References
* Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
* Grimmett, Richard; Inskipp, Carol, Inskipp, Tim & Byers, Clive (1999): "Birds of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives". Princeton University Press, Princeton, N.J.. ISBN 0-691-04910-6
* Wink, M.; Sauer-Gürth, H. & Gwinner, E. (2002): Evolutionary relationships of stonechats and related species inferred from mitochondrial-DNA sequences and genomic fingerprinting. "
British Birds " 95: 349-355. [http://www.uni-heidelberg.de/institute/fak14/ipmb/phazb/pubwink/2002/28.2002.pdf PDF fulltext]Gallery
Sultanpur National Park inGurgaon District ofHaryana ,India .Hodal inFaridabad District ofHaryana ,India .Keoladeo National Park ,Bharatpur ,Rajasthan ,India .Hodal inFaridabad District ofHaryana ,India .
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