Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike Hemipus picatus Scientific name definitions

14–15 cm; 8·5–9·5 g. Male nominate race has top of head, upperparts and wings glossy black, lores to ear-coverts also black, cheeks and side of neck white; rump white, upper rump barred black, uppertail-­coverts black; median and greater upperwing-coverts broadly tipped white, three inner secondaries edged white (longitudinal bar on closed wing); tail black, tipped white (except central feathers), outermost feather also narrowly edged white; chin and stripe around throat side pure white; underparts greyish-white, more vinous on breast, whiter on belly, undertail-coverts and underwing-coverts; thighs ashy brown; iris red-brown; bill black; legs dark grey to black. Readily distinguished from H. hirundinaceus by white on wings and tip of tail. Female is like male, but glossy black areas replaced by sooty black. Juvenile resembles female, but white band on rump narrow, uppertail-coverts tipped white, rest of upperparts and lesser wing-coverts sooty brown with buff feather fringes, median and secondary coverts buff-white with two narrow brown bars, secondaries and tertials tipped and edged buff-white, underparts entirely off-white; immature apparently like female. Race intermedius is darker than nominate; capitalis has black cap and dark brown mantle; <em>leggei</em> is black above in both sexes, slightly paler below.

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

High, open canopy and edges of lowland forest, including disturbed forest; also secondary forest, bamboo stands, scrub, plantations and wooded gardens, including those far from true forest. In mountains, to 2100 m; breeds mainly at 600–1800 m in Himalayan region.

Chiefly resident. Some altitudinal and local movements in Himalayas and NE India, with post-breeding descent to foothills and adjacent plains.

Takes insects, including butterflies (Lepidoptera), beetles (Coleoptera), winged ants (Formicidae) and winged termites (Isoptera). Regularly joins mixed-species flocks in canopy. Forages in manner of a flycatcher (Muscicapidae), perches upright and sallies from habitually used exposed perches; also gleans from foliage. Occasionally takes prey from ground.

Sharp “chisik” or “chir-rup” and shorter “tsik”; also high-pitched, trilling, repeated “wiraka”.

Breeds Feb–Aug in Indian Subcontinent, Apr in Myanmar, Feb and Apr in Peninsular Malaysia and Mar–Jul in China. Nest built by both sexes, a small, shallow cup of roots, fine twigs, moss and grasses, bound with cobwebs, anchored to branch 3–12 m above ground. Eggs 2–3; both sexes incubate and both care for young; no information on incubation and fledging periods.

Not globally threatened. Fairly common in Indian Subcontinent, common in Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka; common in SE Asia and China, but occurs rather sparingly in Myanmar. Common in N and in upland forest in Malay Peninsula, uncommon in S Malaysian lowlands; observed densities imply that major slope populations would be viable in isolation. Less numerous than H. hirundinaceus in Sumatra and Borneo. Occurs in several protected areas, e.g. Royal Chitwan National Park, in Nepal, Corbett National Park, in India, Kaeng Krachan National Park, in Thailand, and Taman Negara National Park, in Peninsular Malaysia.