Bird Stories - The Dance of Indian Robin

After almost 2 years of staying at or around the home in the U.K., we finally traveled to India in April this year. It was scorching hot and COVID was still a bit nuisance, but the motivation to go back home, to meet parents, to meet family and friends couldn't hold us back. Apart from meeting family and friends, there are always 2 things on my itinerary - visiting Khajrana Ganesh Temple in Indore and birding around the lake - Shahi Talab in front of my home in Jabalpur. Both of these give me an immense boost and spur actual feelings of joy. 

The trip this year was special, went for a few pilgrimages that we couldn't do for last almost 15 years, and celebrated my dad's 75th birthday and their anniversary. Also, took kids around Jabalpur, to places where I grew up, and showed them my school and places we used to go around as children. Went on birdwatching with my kids, just around the Shahi Taal, and spotted more than 40 different birds in 3 hours over 3 days. 

The two best moments of birding this year were: one - a White-throated Kingfisher that landed literally 3 feet away from us, too close to even breathe and was not disturbed by our presence. And second was - the dance of Indian Robin (कलचुरी) - Copsychus fulicatus.

Male is a little brown and glistering black bird with deep chestnut under its permanently cocked tail. They also have a white patch on the wings concealed or almost so at rest but flashing into prominence when flying. The female is ashy-brown with paler chestnut under a cocked tail. You could spot Indian Robin very easily, everywhere around Jabalpur. 

 Female Indian Robin (कलचुरी) - Copsychus fulicatus 

Male Indian Robin (कलचुरी) - Copsychus fulicatus 

The memorable part was the dance of the male to prove dominance over territory with another male and to impress the female. The female Indian Robin was perched nearby, and both the male danced to gain attention. The winner flew with the female, leaving the loser behind.

It all started with two males hopping from one branch to another around the female. The female was busy feasting on the termites or ants. The dominant male found a flat spot and hopped around singing a few energetic and cheerful notes. In a way to challenge the other male for a dance battle. 

Then he puffed out his chest and stretched himself threateningly to his full height, moving the cocked tail upward well over his back. At this point the second male, challenger joins the stage and both produce similar moves - stretching as high as they can, going round in a circle, puffing, tossing the tail, cocking the tail, and singing a few notes full of energy.

The elaborate dance goes on for about a couple of minutes, all this time the female is busily perched on bush nearby picking ants and small insects. All of a sudden, you see the female and the challenger fly away, leaving the dominant male in a state of shock or surprise. He looks around, checks the stage, sings a few notes, and flies away. The winner gains the territory and the attention of the female.

Indian Robin (कलचुरी) - Copsychus fulicatus is a member of the thrush family and a bird of the countryside, frequently met with in villages perched on a thatch roof, roadside hedge, termite mounds, or rotten log of wood, switching its cocked tail up and down, singing energetic and cheerful notes.

The Indian Robin's nest is a cup of grass and rootlets, placed in a hole in an earth-cutting, rotten tree stump or in a discarded tin can or plastic container.

https://birds.rekabira.in/2018/02/birds-around-me-0044-indian-robin.html

Birds Around Me - Unfinished List (अपूर्ण  सूची)

-- Ashutosh Jhureley

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