Meet the Old-World Flycatcher
The Oriental Magpie-Robin
I shot this lovely snap today - of the Oriental Magpie-Robin with an insect (his prized catch) held so firmly within his beak 😊
The first shot, is the Magpie carefully looking out for his prey.
In the second shot, to my utmost surprise, and within a jiffy at that, the Magpie had caught his prey! And how!!
Well, these oriental Magpie-Robins are resident breeders found throughout the Indian subcontinent, and they thrive in open woodlands and cultivated areas, often quite close to human settlements, including urban gardens.
They are primarily insectivorous, feeding mainly on insects and they are known to be quite active at dusk.
In many parts of Asia, particularly in China, magpies are often associated with happiness, and in some parts of South and Southeast Asia, the Oriental Magpie-Robin is seen as a harbinger of good luck and prosperity.
As the national bird of Bangladesh, the Magpie-Robin is an integral part of Bangladeshi literature, art, and national narratives as well.
On an aside, the first time I encountered the Magpie-Robin was in Tintin’s The Castafiore Emerald, way back during our primary school days. 😊
In The Castafiore Emerald, Tintin investigates the theft of Bianca Castafiore’s emerald after it goes missing. Although suspicions fall on the Romani, Tintin eventually realizes that a magpie is the true culprit. 😊
While Magpies stealing
shiny objects, is now considered largely a myth, Magpie Robins, like many
birds, are known to indulge themselves in kleptoparasitism - the act of stealing food from other birds it
seems.
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