Mangrove Whistler    Pachycephala   cinerea

Etymology:

• Pachycephala : Greek word pakhus large, thick ; kephale -head. { Large Headed}
• Cinerea :Latin word cinis, cineris – ashes { Ashy grey}

Vernacular Names:  Mar: Pivalya Pathicha Nachan

Distribution in India: Resident of Sundarbans & Andaman Island.

Description: Size of 15·5–17 cm; wt. of 19–25 g. The nominate race has light grey forehead, top and side of head are dull ashy brown, lores are light grey; upperparts are ashy grey, remiges and upperwing-coverts are greyish umber, tail is umber; white below, throat and cheek are faintly mottled with brown, upper breast is slightly washed umber, feathers of thighs are brown basally and white distally; iris is brown; bill is black; legs are dark slate. Both the sexes are alike. The juvenile has upperparts warm rusty brown, secondaries and wing-coverts are edged rusty brown, underparts are white, bill is pinkish brown. The immature are as adult, but retain juvenile secondaries and wing-coverts. The race plateni has upperparts uniformly greyish brown, throat is greyish white, breast is grey, belly and undertail-coverts are white.

Habitat: It is found in mangroves and adjacent coastal vegetation, including casuarina forest, local plantations and wooded gardens, island forest, riverine vegetation. It is found from sea level up to 1830 m.

Food habits: It eats insects. It captures prey by sallying, and by gleaning and snatching from branches and trunks of trees. It joins mixed-species foraging flocks.

Breeding habits: They breed in Apr–Jul in India, Mar–Jun in South East Asia and Apr in Java. The nest is a thin, flimsy cup attached by spider web to supporting twigs above ground. They lay a clutch of two eggs.