Common Woodshrike - BirdForum Opus

Photo by Shantilal Varu
Kutch, Gujarat, India
April, 2011

Tephrodornis pondicerianus

Identification

16-18cm

• Mid brown upperparts and wings
• White underparts
• Dark brown patch behind eye
• White stripe above eye
• Dark brown tail
• Yellowish-brown iris
• Grey legs and bill

Distribution

Photo by Alok Tewari
Bhindawas BS, Distt. Jhajjhar, Haryana, IndiaFebruary 2011

Pakistan to south-east Asia

Taxonomy

Sri Lanka Woodshrike T. p. affinis has been split from this species.^[1][2]

Subspecies

Three subspecies are recognized:^[1]

• T. p. pallidus

• Pakistan and north-western India

• T. p. pondicerianus

• Eastern India to Myanmar, northern Thailand and southern Laos

• T. p. orientis

• Cambodia and southern Vietnam

Habitat

Hedgerows, gardens and groves.

Behaviour

Arboreal.

Diet

They feed on insects in the upper branches and canopy.

Breeding

The nest is cup shaped, made from grass and bark, bound with spider's webs and lined with hair and wool. The clutch consists of 2-3 cream, yellow or reddish brown spotted eggs.

References

1. Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
2. Gill, F and D Donsker (Eds). 2010. IOC World Bird Names (version 2.7). Available at http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.
3. Whistler, H. 1949. Popular Handbook of Indian Birds.

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Common Woodshrike. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 1 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Common_Woodshrike

External Links

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