Common shama thrush

A pretty little song bird which is instantly recognisable by its long tail.

Originally found in India and southeast Asia, its popularity as a pet and as a beautiful singer lead to it being introduced to other places like Hawaii.

They can also be found in Taiwan but there they are regarded as a bit of a pest because they like to eat local insects and they can be aggressive towards native birds.

They’re quite particular where they make their nests. If they can find an old hollow tree, then they’re happy!

Fun facts about common shama thrush

They usually lay four to five eggs at a time.
Its long tail allows it to change direction very quickly.
One of the first ever birdsong recordings was of this type of bird. A gentleman by the name of Ludwig Koch from Germany recorded a captive bird in 1889 using an Edison wax cylinder.

Latin name
Copsychus malabaricus

Class
Aves

Order
Passeriformes

Family
Muscicapidae

Conservation status
Least concern

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Common shama thrush questions and answers

Impress your friends with everything you know about the Common shama thrush!

What do they eat? +

In the wild they feed on small insects.

Where do they like to live? +

In Asia, they love dense undergrowth especially bamboo forests.

Do both the male and female build the nest? +

No they don’t, the nest is built by the female while the male stands guard.