Indian
Robin

Indian Robin

The Indian Robin is widespread in South Asia found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The males of northern populations have a brown back whose extent gradually reduces southwards with populations in the southern peninsula having an all black back. They are commonly found in open scrub areas and often seen running along the ground or perching on low thorny shrubs and rocks. Their long tails are held erect and their chestnut undertail covert and dark body make them easily distinguishable from the Pied Bushchat and the Oriental Magpie Robin.

The Indian Robin is dimorphic in plumage with the main being mainly black with a white shoulder patch or stripe whose visible extent can vary with posture. The northern populations have the upper plumage brownish while the southern populations are black above. The males have chestnut undertail coverts and these are visible as the bird usually holds the 10 cm long tail raised upright. The females are brownish above, have no white shoulder stripe and are greyish below with the vent a paler shade of chestnut than the males. Birds of the northern populations are larger than those from southern India or Sri Lanka. Juvenile birds are much like females but the throat is mottled.

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Regional Names

• Gujarati:
  દેવ ચકલી
• Hindi:
  काली चिड़ी
• Kannada:
  ಚಿಟ್ಟು ಮಡಿವಾಳ
• Malayalam:
  കല്‍മണ്ണാത്തി
• Marathi:
  चीरक, काळोखी
• Nepali:
  देवी श्यामा
• Punjabi:
  ਪਿੱਦਾ
• Sanskrit:
  पोदकी, कृष्णपक्षी, देवी श्यामा
• Tamil:
  கருஞ்சிட்டு

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