They are usually seen singly or in pairs. Wherever there is suitable habitat, they are often found close to human habitation. The male sings its varied and melodious whistling song from trees during summer. They may sing for a long time around dawn but at other times of the day they often utter sharp single or two note high-pitched whistles. They were once popular as cage birds, with the ability to learn entire tunes. They bathe frequently in water usually in the mornings and evenings but also at midday during hot weather. and small frogs, as well as
drupes, and wind-fallen figs and berries. and rare records of eating longer snakes such as the Rat snake have been reported.
Breeding The birds breed from March to December and begin with the arrival of the monsoons. Courtship involves chasing flights and calling. They usually nest in a cavity on a stream bank but will sometimes make use of nearby buildings. In a study of nest-site selection in the
Silent Valley area, a total of 21 nests were found mostly on rocks along the edge of streams and one each in a tree hole and inside an abandoned building. The nest is a cup made of moss, bamboo roots and grass, with a broad base and tapering towards the top. The base of the nest appeared to be cemented to the rock with mud. Mean nest height was 14.8 cm and depth 7.4 cm. The mean outer width and inner width were 21.5 cm and 13.1 cm respectively. Mean height from the ground was 125.8 cm. Most nest sites were about 6 m from water with 60% rock cover. The nests were mostly fully concealed and nesting success was directly related to it. The birds show high site fidelity; The eggs are pale salmon pink with speckling. The eggs are incubated for about 16 or 17 days by both the male and female. ==References==