Magpie-robin

magpie-robin, any of eight species of chat-thrushes found in southern Asia, belonging to the family Muscicapidae in the order Passeriformes. Some authorities place these birds in the family Turdidae. They are 18 to 28 cm (7 to 11 inches) long, with pied plumage and attenuated tails—small replicas of magpies. The uptilted tail is frequently lowered and fanned. Magpie-robins hunt insects on the ground and are exceptionally fine singers. Some are popular cage and aviary birds—for example, the dyal (Copsychus saularis, also spelled dayal, or dhyal), a blue-black and white species, 20 cm (9 inches) long, prized for its rich song. Other Copsychus species are often called shama. The white-rumped shama (C. malabaricus) is a long-tailed species native to China and Southeast Asia and introduced in Hawaii.