Paradise flycatcher

The genus Terpsiphone was introduced by the German zoologist Constantin Gloger in 1827. The type species was subsequently designated as the Indian paradise flycatcher. The name is from the Ancient Greek terpsi "delighting in" and phonos "voice". The genus contains 17 species: Former species Formerly, some authorities also considered the following species (or subspecies) as species within the genus Terpsiphone: • Cerulean flycatcher (as Zeocephus rowleyi) • Blue-mantled crested flycatcher (as Terpsiphone cyanomelas) • Blue-headed crested flycatcher (as Terpsiphone nitens) • Rufous monarch (as Tchitrea rubiensis) ==Description==

has the typical blue eye-ring and long tail The paradise flycatchers are generally small birds, around in length and weighing . They have a medium length grey or blueish bill which is broad and hooked at the end and is surrounded by stiff rictal bristles. The inside of the mouths of paradise-flycatchers are brightly coloured, being either yellow or green. The tails are long, particularly in many species where the male has a massively elongated pair of middle tail feathers. These tail streamers are 195 mm long in the male São Tomé paradise flycatcher and 412 mm long in the male Indian paradise flycatcher. Not all species have long tail streamers, for example the blue paradise flycatcher of Palawan in Asia and the Bedford's paradise flycatcher of montane Africa do not have exceptionally long tails. In most species the tail is longer than the wing, even in the shorter tailed females. The eye is surrounded by an eyering that is a blue thin wattle (slightly more pronounced in some species like the rufous paradise flycatcher). The plumage of the paradise flycatchers is sexually dimorphic, with rufous, white and black being the most common colours; one species has blue plumage and a few have traces of maroon. Calls and song The paradise flycatchers make a range of vocalisations, these range from whistling songs to harsher calls. These songs and calls are typical of the monarch flycatchers. The songs are simpler in the Asian species, for example the call of the Japanese paradise flycatcher is a repeated three syllable whistle. The songs of the African species are more complex and, in the case of species with a large range, vary geographically. The calls are generally simple and are harsh and grating. ==Distribution and habitat==

incubating on the nest The paradise flycatchers have the widest distribution of any of the monarch flycatchers, ranging across sub-Saharan Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and East Asia. At the northern extreme of its range it reaches Korea and Afghanistan. The species also occurs on a number of islands, including those of Indonesia and the Philippines, Taiwan, and Japan, as well as Madagascar, the Mascarenes and the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean and São Tomé off Africa's Atlantic coast. Several species of paradise flycatcher are migratory. The Japanese paradise flycatcher is almost entirely migratory, breeding in Korea and Japan and wintering in the Philippines, Malaysia and Sumatra. It does however also occur in Taiwan, where the population is apparently resident. The Indian paradise flycatcher ranges across the Indian subcontinent and adjoining regions. The movements of the other species are not fully understood, but most are thought to be resident. Several subspecies of the African paradise flycatcher are apparently intra-African migrants, but little is known about these movements. The paradise flycatchers inhabit a range of habitat types, from rainforest to montane forest, woodlands, savanna, mangroves, riparian forest, deciduous forests and bamboo groves, some species will also move into gardens and cultivated habitat. ==Behaviour==

Terpsiphone paradisi with a feed at nest at Ananthagiri Hills, in Rangareddy district of Andhra Pradesh, India. Breeding Paradise flycatchers, like all monarch flycatchers, are monogamous and are generally territorial, although in some cases birds may nest close together and defend the nests together against predators. Females apparently select males based on their tail length, a form of sexual selection. Paradise flycatchers are unusual as exaggerated sexual traits are usually found in promiscuous birds, not monogamous ones. The nests of this genus are neat deep cups placed on a branch or twig, often in a fork. They are usually placed 1–3 m off the ground. They are often very conspicuous, particularly when the long-tailed males are incubating. The nests are, however, aggressively defended by the pair. Amongst the pair duties are shared but not equally. For example, in the Malagasy paradise flycatcher the female undertakes more brooding responsibilities whereas the male spends more time guarding the nest. Food and feeding The paradise flycatchers are, as their name suggests, insectivores, feeding on a variety of insects, usually obtained on the wing. ==References==