The aptly named Indian Paradise Flycatcher
Whenever I go to a wooded area while birding, one of the birds that provides a special delight is the
(now known as the Indian Paradise Flycatcher…these boffins have to keep changing the name!
Here’s a quick video, taken early this year, of the white morph of the bird:
Of late, I’ve been visiting an area in the Bannerghatta Forest, called Jaipurdoddi. This seems to be a haunt of these lovely birds…
We saw four males, chasing each other, flaunting their fluttering ribbon tails as they flew in and out of the trees!
Males often morph from the rufous (reddish brown) colour to white. I’ve seen plenty of male birds (like the ones in these photos) with both the reddish and white plumage simultaneously. They must be teenagers!
I am not sure if the females have a white morph…. I’ve never seen a white morph female. The male birds do seem to delight in their tails, as much as we delight in watching them! Truly, one of the spectacular birds we have in our midst.