The
Indian paradise flycatcher (
Terpsiphone paradisi) is a medium-sized
passerine bird in the family Monarchidae, the
monarch flycatchers. It is native to the Indian subcontinent, with resident and breeding populations in most of Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka, as well as parts of Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. The bird has a length of 20 to 50 centimetres (7.9 to 19.7 inches) from beak to tail. Males have elongated central tail feathers, and a black and rufous plumage in some populations, while others have white plumage. Females are short-tailed with rufous wings and a black head. The Indian paradise flycatcher feeds on insects, including grasshoppers, butterflies and
praying mantises, as well as flies. It typically captures prey in the air, kills it by hitting it on a rock, and then extracts the inner parts. This Indian paradise flycatcher in flight was photographed in
Pilibhit in the Indian state of
Uttar Pradesh.
Photograph credit: Prasan Shrestha
