Of Robins and Wagtails

Oriental Magpie-Robin

Robins and wagtails are very familiar to villagers of Shimoga area - these are regular visitors to our backyards. I have observed a lot of Oriental Magpie-Robins near my village, which is about the size of a bulbul, black-and-white with a longish tail. We can see this hopping from bush to bush or searching for small insects on the ground. It is not hard to catch these birds singing, either.

Oriental Magpie-Robin looks a lot like Pied Bushcat, so pay close attention to its tail - Robin has a longish tail when compared to the Bushcat.
Scientific name for this bird is Copsychus saularis.

Large Pied Wagtail on an asbestos roof

Close cousins of Robins, Wagtails are also very common in this part. As the name suggests, it keeps moving its tail up and down, is a shade thinner and longer when compared to the Robin. Also, the wagtail I have observed near my village, Large Pied Wagtail, has a very visible 'eyebrow' - a white one at that. So it is not hard to identify the bird correctly. This bird is also known as White-browed Wagtail for this reason.
Salim Ali notes that this bird prefers streams, watercourses etc, - in Malnad area, especially in rainy season, streamlets are so numerous that you can easily see these birds very close to our homes. These also feed on insects and worms, like Robins.
Scientific name for this bird is Motacilla maderaspatensis Gmelin.