Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike

The Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike, Hemipus picatus, is a diminutive passerine, often associated with the Vangidae family. Exhibiting a striking black and white plumage, the males are resplendent in velvety black, while females may present a more subdued greyish-brown hue. This species is characterized by a black cap and wings that provide a stark contrast to the white body, punctuated by a distinctive white slash across the wing and a white rump. The bird's beak is hooked at the tip, and it is adorned with rictal bristles, with the nostril concealed by hairs.

Identification Tips

When observing these birds, look for their upright perching stance and their habit of flying about to catch insects. The males and females can be distinguished by their coloration, with males typically appearing in a more lustrous black compared to the females' greyish-brown. The tail is predominantly black, but the outer feathers are white, and the non-central tail feathers are tipped with white.

Habitat

The Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike is a denizen of the forests, preferring the mid-canopy where it actively hunts for insects.

Distribution

This species is found across tropical southern Asia, from the Himalayas and southern India to Indonesia. Its range extends through various subspecies across the Western Ghats, the Himalayas, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia.

Behaviour

These birds are primarily insectivorous, engaging in foliage gleaning and aerial sallies to capture their prey. They are known to join mixed-species foraging flocks, moving through the forest without a particular attachment to any single location.

Song & Calls

The vocalizations of the Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike include a rapid and high-pitched "tsit-it-it-it" or a rolling "whriri-whirriri-whirriri," and sometimes a sharp "chip." In Sri Lanka, pairs have been reported to perform precise duets.

Breeding

The breeding season varies by region, with nests being neat cups adorned with lichens and bound by cobwebs. The clutch typically consists of 2 or 3 pale greenish-white eggs, blotched with black and grey. Both sexes share incubation duties, and the chicks exhibit cryptic behaviour, resembling broken branches when at rest in the nest.

Diet and Feeding

The Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike feeds on insects, which it catches by gleaning from foliage or through aerial pursuits.

Conservation status

The IUCN Red List has classified the Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike as Least Concern, indicating that, currently, the species does not face an immediate threat of extinction.