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Pied Bushchat
Saxicola caprata
8.47203, 124.568
Field Notes
Description:
The pied bush chat (Saxicola caprata) is a small passerine bird found ranging from West Asia and Central Asia to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. About sixteen subspecies are recognized through its wide range with many island forms. It is a familiar bird of countryside and open scrub or grassland where it is found perched at the top of short thorn trees or other shrubs, looking out for insect prey. They pick up insects mainly from the ground, and were, like other chats, placed in the thrush family Turdidae, but are now considered as Old World flycatchers.
They nest in cavities in stone walls or in holes in an embankment, lining the nest with grass and animal hair. The males are black with white shoulder and vent patches whose extent varies among populations. Females are predominantly brownish while juveniles are speckled.
Subspecies and Distribution (Philippines)
S. c. caprata (Linnaeus, 1766) – Luzon and Mindoro, in N Philippines.
S. c. randi Parkes, 1960 – C Philippines (Panay, Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor).
S. c. anderseni Salomonsen, 1953 – Leyte and Mindanao, in E & S
Reference : https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pied_bush_chat#Distribution
Habitat:
Grasslands, Rice Fields
Notes:
Still not sure if this is a White-vented Shama, since it is Endemic to Palawan Island (Western Part of the Philippines) and I spotted this bird in Cagayan de oro City (Northern Mindanao).
Other possibility of this Spotting is that it is an introduce species by someone who bought this as a pet and intentionally or accidentally escaped from its cage.
If this is really a White-vented Shama, I believe this is the first spotting here in Mindanao (based on my research).
Edit : This is a Pied Bushchat. Thanks to Jellis (A fellow Project Noah spotter) for the huge help in identifying this Bird.
The Shama and this Pied Bushchat somehow looks alike, but differs by the length of the their tails.(in my opinion) The WVS has a longer tail.
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