MAGPIE-ROBIN

any of eight species of chat-thrushes, belonging to the family Turdidae (order Passeriformes), found in southern Asia. They are 18 to 28 cm (7 to 11 inches) long, with pied plumage and attenuated tailssmall replicas of magpies. The uptilted tail is frequently lowered and fanned. Magpie-robins hunt insects on the ground and are exceptionally fine singers. Some are popular cage and aviary birdsfor example, the dyal (Copsychus saularis, also spelled dayal, or dhyal), a blue-black and white species, 20 cm long, prized for its rich song. Other Copsychus species are often called shama. The white-rumped shama (C. malabaricus) is a long-tailed species native to China and Southeast Asia and introduced in Hawaii.