Bird Guide

Indian Robin vs Oriental Magpie-Robin

Indian Robin (Copsychus fulicatus)

Indian Robin

Copsychus fulicatus

17 gShrubland

The Indian robin is sexually dimorphic in plumage, with the male being mainly black with a white shoulder patch or stripe whose visible extent can vary with posture. The northern populations have the upper plumage brownish, while the southern populations are black above. The males have chestnut undertail coverts and these are visible as the bird usually holds the 6–8 cm long tail raised upright. The females are brownish above, have no white shoulder stripe and are greyish below, with the vent a paler shade of chestnut than the males.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Indian Robin
Recorded by Vihansith Kulatunga · Call · Andamkulam (near Trincomalee), Trincomalee, Eastern Province, Sri Lanka · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Rison Thumboor from Thrissur, India · CC BY 2.0
Oriental Magpie-Robin (Copsychus saularis)

Oriental Magpie-Robin

Copsychus saularis

Small36 gWoodland

This species is 19 centimetres (7.5 in) long, including the long tail, which is usually held cocked upright when hopping on the ground. When they are singing a song the tail is normal like other birds. It is similar in shape to the smaller European robin, but is longer-tailed. The male has black upperparts, head and throat apart from a white shoulder patch. The underparts and the sides of the long tail are white. Females are greyish black above and greyish white under. Young birds have scaly brown upperparts and head.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Challiyan · CC BY 2.5

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Indian Robin and Oriental Magpie-Robin.