Least Concern

About 15–18 cm in length; weight ~15–20 g. Males are mostly black with a white shoulder patch and rufous under-tail, while females are brownish with paler underparts. Tail is long and often held upright.

Resident species across India, Nepal, and parts of Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Non-migratory.

Non-migratory; may show local movements in response to food availability.

March to September, coinciding with pre-monsoon and monsoon months. Males display with tail-flicking, singing, and aerial displays to attract females.

Nests in crevices, wall cavities, stone piles, and shrubs. Clutch size is typically 3–4 eggs, incubated by the female. Both parents feed the chicks.

Found in open scrub, gardens, cultivated fields, rocky areas, and urban environments. Often perches on exposed posts or low vegetation.

Primarily insectivorous, feeding on beetles, grasshoppers, caterpillars, and other small insects. Occasionally takes small fruits and seeds. Hunts mostly on the ground or from low perches.