Pied Bushchat  Saxicola caprata

Etymology:

• Saxicola : Latin word saxum – stone;  cola- dweller  { Stone dweller}

• Caprata : Maria-capra was the name given to the Pied Bushchat by the inhabitants of Luzon

• Bicolor : Latin word bi– two; color- colour {Two Colours}

• Nilgiriensis: From Nilgiri hills in South India ( Tamil Nadu)

• Burmanicus : From Burma ( Myanmar)

 

Vernacular names: Sind: Pidda, Hindi: Pidda, Kala pidda, Sans: Shabal shup-ashvak, Pun: Kali galri, Guj: Shyama, Mar: Kavda gappidas, piddo, Ta: Kallu kuruvi, Te: Kampa nalanchi, Mal: Chutteental-killi, Kan: Kappu bili beli chataka

Distribution in India: Resident across India, winters visitor in West India

Description:  Size of 12-13 cm, wt. of 14-26g. Male has is glossy black, with long white wing-covert patch, white rump, white belly center to vent; in fresh plumage lightly scaled buff; bill and legs black. It has a white wing patch. Female is grey-brown above, with dark brown wings and tail, unstreaked rufous rump, paler below, with dark brown streaking; in fresh plumage paler and streakier above, with buff edges of wing-coverts. The juvenile is like female, but with strong buff spots and streaks above, scaling on breast and flanks, two rufous wingbars; the juvenile male has partial white wing patch.

The race bicolor (North India , Gujarat, Uttarakhand and West Bengal) is larger and male less glossy than nominate, with white below extending up to lower belly.

Race burmanicus (Central and South East India) is like nominate, but male with slightly more white below, female darker above.

Race nilgiriensis ( South West India) male has smaller wing patch, female dark and heavily streaked

Habitat: It is found in Open terrain with some low to mid-height vegetation, scrubby open grassy country and hillsides, willow plantations, riverbeds with scant bushes, grassland, grassy steppe, dwarf palms, savanna, scrub jungle, rushes beside water bodies, moist ground with thickets

Food Habits: It eats small insects and their larvae like beetles, caterpillars, moths, midges and ants, also earthworms. Small caterpillars seen brought to nestlings. Forages in typical stonechat fashion, flying from perch (e.g. tall grass or top of low bush) to ground to take prey; occasionally sallying in air

Breeding Habits: They breed in Feb- May. Nest is a pad of coarse soft grass, roots and leaves, lined with fine roots, vegetable down, hair or wool, placed in hole in ground or bank, in hollow of bamboo, shelter of grass tussock, deep hoof print of cow, or even under roof or in drainpipe; nest reused for subsequent broods. It Lays3–5 eggs. Incubation period is 13–14 days; nestling period 13–15 days; post-fledging dependence is 30 days. Frequent brood parasitism by Common Cuckoo.