Photo: Rackk67 / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
White-vented Shama
Copsychus niger
White-vented Shama (Copsychus niger) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South & Southeast Asia.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The White-vented Shama (Copsychus niger) is a member of the Muscicapidae family found in South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 28.5 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Muscicapidae Chats, Old World Flycatchers
- Genus Copsychus
- Species niger
Quick facts
- Weight
- 28.5 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The White-vented Shama is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it uses a wide range of foraging strategies.
Migration
The White-vented Shama is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The White-vented Shama (Copsychus niger) is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It is found across South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR Palawan group (sw Philippines).
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 28.5 g, with a wing length of about 8.2 cm and a tail of around 9.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 14,000 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the White-vented Shama?
The White-vented Shama is a small bird that weighs around 28.5 g.
Where does the White-vented Shama live?
The White-vented Shama is found across South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR Palawan group (sw Philippines), where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the White-vented Shama belong to?
The White-vented Shama (Copsychus niger) belongs to the Muscicapidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the White-vented Shama eat?
The White-vented Shama is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the White-vented Shama migrate?
The White-vented Shama is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the White-vented Shama endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the White-vented Shama make?
1 real field recording of the White-vented Shama — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the White-vented Shama's range?
The White-vented Shama has a mapped global range of about 14,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.
Meet the Muscicapidae
A field guide to the Muscicapidae family — 355 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.