Indian Paradise Flycatcher

The Indian Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi) is a medium-sized passerine bird native to Asia, where it is widely distributed. As the global population is considered stable, it has been listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 2004. It is native to the Indian subcontinent as well as Central Asia and Myanmar.

Indian paradise flycatcher adults have a length of 19–22 cm. They have glossy black heads with a black crown and crest, a big, robust black bill, and black eyes. Females have a rufous back and underparts and a grayish neck. They have 86–92 mm-long wings. Young boys resemble females almost exactly, but they have black necks and eyes with blue rings. As adults, they produce two primary tail feathers that can reach lengths of up to 30 cm each, resulting in streamers that can be up to 24 cm long. Young males have short tails and are rufous in color. In the second or third year, they grow long tails. Male adults have either a brilliant rufous coloration on top or are mostly white. Some specimens have a degree of intermediate rufous-to-white coloration. The shaft streaks on the wing and tail feathers of long-tailed rufous birds are typically absent, whereas in white birds, the shaft streaks, and occasionally the edges of the wing and tail feathers, are black.