As emotive as the late actor Irfan Khan! by Gargi Mishra
This bird is a master in vocabulary; can mimic other birds and animals flawlessly. It is also as expressive and emotive as the late actor Irfan Khan. This bird is vocal on emotions but expresses when the need is really unavoidable.
It is none other than one of our close avian acquaintances ORIENTAL-MAGPIE ROBIN (Copsychus saularis), also known as Asian Magpie or just Magpie Robin; earlier a member of 'thrush' family but now belongs to Old World Flycatcher's. We see them in our vicinity, even in our balcony.
Magpie Robin is a resident bird of the Indian subcontinent. However, doesn't prefer to visit arid areas of India. In winter moves to lower elevations.
May be this Magpie has a special affiliation for humans. It avoids forest or open grass lands to live near human settlements. It builds the nest in tree hollows or gaps in the wall or the roof of a building.
A neat looking fellow, it has glossy blue-black head, breast and upperparts. The lady has bluish-grey head, breast and upperparts. Both have white wing bar that starts from the shoulder and running to the wing tip and glossy white underside. Slightly hooked black beak and black beady eyes are add-on to its glamour.
The neat fellow is also a gentleman by nature, Robin often bows to all and shivers its long tail out of respect. But holds it upright while picking up the tidbits and creepy-crawlies from the ground.
One can argue Magpie Robin as a fine Indian classicist. The high octave tone (uses a range of calls including territorial, distress, threat, begging, emergence and roosting) of this seasoned singer pours honey to the ears. The tenor in its voice often impresses and mesmerize its lady love. But when it comes to defending his territory one can witness its vicious hissing and harsh churr or chhekh notes.
Primarily omnivorous, can eat anything that is edible from insects to grains, earthworms, flower nectar, berries, vegetables and occasionally geckos, centipedes even fish.
An interesting fact I learned that the basis of the word "Gazette" is "Gazza" meaning a magpie in Italy.
There is also infamy attribution to Magpie. It is known as a thief of shiny objects. But new research (which is not conclusive yet) by 'Exeter University' scientists shows that the bird is actually nervous of any novel or unexpected objects which is called "neophobia- fear of new things"
The lead researcher Dr. Tony Shephard (Centre for Research in Animal Behavior) told BBC News: "Some birds do use eye-catching objects in the nest after mating like Black Kites to warn off potential predators. But we had already looked inside a dozen magpie nests and not seen any shiny objects. So, I was not expecting magpies to use objects for this purpose."
(Note: The research has been conducted only on Eurasian Magpies in Exter University. As per a news report Oriental magpie robin was also there in their cover photo. But there is no solid proof that either the research has been conducted on Oriental magpie or not as the research is not concluded yet.)
But my daughter asks "why then they take the objects near their nests and scatter around it. Why not somewhere else?". You may like to answer.
Photo By: Gargi Mishra
Place: Delhi
