Flycatcher-shrike

The flycatcher-shrikes are two species of small Asian passerine bird belonging to the genus Hemipus. They are now usually placed in the Vangidae.

Flycatcher-shrike
Black-winged flycatcher-shrike (H. hirundinaceus)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Vangidae
Genus:	Hemipus Hodgson, 1844
Species
H. hirundinaceus H. picatus

Description

They are 12.5 to 14.5 cm (4.9 to 5.7 in) in length.[1] They are slender birds with fairly long wings and tails. The bill and feet are black.[2] The plumage is dark above and pale below with white on the rump. The bar-winged flycatcher-shrike has a large white patch on the wing which the black-winged flycatcher-shrike lacks.[1]

Distribution and range

They are found in broad-leaved forest, forest edge and secondary forest in southern Asia. Both species have large ranges and are not considered to be threatened. The bar-winged flycatcher-shrike occurs in the Indian Subcontinent, south-west China, mainland South-east Asia and on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo.[1] The black-winged flycatcher-shrike is found in the Malay Peninsula and on Sumatra, Borneo, Java and Bali.[2]

Behaviour

They forage actively in the forest canopy for insects. They are often found in groups and frequently join mixed-species foraging flocks.[2] They will also catch insects in flight.[3]

The nest is cup-shaped and built on a tree branch. Two or three eggs are laid; they are greenish or pinkish with darker markings.[1] Both parents are involved in building the nest, incubating the eggs and rearing the young.[3]

Species list

Image	Scientific name	Common Name	Distribution
	Hemipus hirundinaceus	Black-winged flycatcher-shrike	Malay Peninsula to Sumatra, Borneo, Java and Bali.
	Hemipus picatus	Bar-winged flycatcher-shrike	Western Ghats of India

See also

The two shrike-flycatcher species of Africa are also occasionally known as flycatcher-shrikes:

• Crested flycatcher-shrike: see black-and-white shrike-flycatcher (Bias musicus)
• Red-eyed flycatcher-shrike: see African shrike-flycatcher (Megabyas flammulatus)

References

1. Robson, Craig (2002) A Field Guide to the Birds of South-east Asia, New Holland, London.
2. MacKinnon, John & Phillipps, Karen (1993) A Field Guide to the Birds of Borneo, Sumatra, Java and Bali, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
3. Perrins, Christopher, ed. (2004) The New Encyclopedia of Birds, Oxford University Press, Oxford.