Flycatcher-shrike

The flycatcher-shrikes are two species of small Asian passerine bird belonging to the genus Hemipus. They are now usually placed in the Vangidae.

Flycatcher-shrike
Black-winged flycatcher-shrike (H. hirundinaceus)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Vangidae
Genus: Hemipus
Hodgson, 1844
Species

Description

They are 12.5 to 14.5 cm (4.9 to 5.7 in) in length.[1] They are slender birds with fairly long wings and tails. The bill and feet are black.[2] The plumage is dark above and pale below with white on the rump. The bar-winged flycatcher-shrike has a large white patch on the wing which the black-winged flycatcher-shrike lacks.[1]

Distribution and range

They are found in broad-leaved forest, forest edge and secondary forest in southern Asia. Both species have large ranges and are not considered to be threatened. The bar-winged flycatcher-shrike occurs in the Indian Subcontinent, south-west China, mainland South-east Asia and on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo.[1] The black-winged flycatcher-shrike is found in the Malay Peninsula and on Sumatra, Borneo, Java and Bali.[2]

Behaviour

They forage actively in the forest canopy for insects. They are often found in groups and frequently join mixed-species foraging flocks.[2] They will also catch insects in flight.[3]

The nest is cup-shaped and built on a tree branch. Two or three eggs are laid; they are greenish or pinkish with darker markings.[1] Both parents are involved in building the nest, incubating the eggs and rearing the young.[3]

Species list

ImageScientific nameCommon NameDistribution
Hemipus hirundinaceusBlack-winged flycatcher-shrikeMalay Peninsula to Sumatra, Borneo, Java and Bali.
Hemipus picatusBar-winged flycatcher-shrikeWestern Ghats of India

See also

The two shrike-flycatcher species of Africa are also occasionally known as flycatcher-shrikes:

References

  1. Robson, Craig (2002) A Field Guide to the Birds of South-east Asia, New Holland, London.
  2. MacKinnon, John & Phillipps, Karen (1993) A Field Guide to the Birds of Borneo, Sumatra, Java and Bali, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
  3. Perrins, Christopher, ed. (2004) The New Encyclopedia of Birds, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
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