Oriental Magpie Robin (Copsychus saularis )

Oriental Magpie Robin (Copsychus saularis )
Originally uploaded by Umang Dutt

The Oriental Magpie Robin Copsychus saularis is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, family Muscicapidae. It is also known as Oriental Magpie Robin, Straits Robin and Magpie.

This magpie-robin is an insectivorous species which is a resident breeder in tropical southern Asia from Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka east to Indonesia, south China and the Philippines.

The Oriental Magpie Robin is found in open woodland, cultivated areas and around human habitation. It nests in a hole, often in a wall, laying 3-6 eggs which are incubated by both sexes.
This species is 19cm long, including the long cocked tail. 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 grey above and greyish white. Young birds have scaly brown upperparts and head.

The Oriental Magpie Robin is a common and tame bird. It is terrestrial, hopping along the ground with cocked tail. The male sings loud melodic notes from the top of a perch during the breeding season
Magpie Robin is a common bird in Bangladesh. It is found all over the country. It's local name (in Bangla) is Doyel or Doel (Bengali: দোয়েল). This bird has been designated as the National Bird of Bangladesh. Picture of this bird appeares on different currency notes of Bangladesh. Doyel Chatwar (meaning: Doyel Square) named after this bird is a prominent landmark in Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh.