Photo: Lesson, 1839 / CC0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Rufous-tailed Shama
Copsychus pyrropygus
Rufous-tailed Shama (Copsychus pyrropygus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South & Southeast Asia.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Rufous-tailed Shama (Copsychus pyrropygus) is a member of the Muscicapidae family found in South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 40.9 g.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Muscicapidae Chats, Old World Flycatchers
- Genus Copsychus
- Species pyrropygus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 40.9 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Rufous-tailed 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 Rufous-tailed Shama is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Rufous-tailed Shama (Copsychus pyrropygus) 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 Malay Pen., Sumatra and Borneo.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 40.9 g, with a wing length of about 9.8 cm and a tail of around 8.4 cm.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Rufous-tailed Shama?
The Rufous-tailed Shama is a small bird that weighs around 40.9 g.
Where does the Rufous-tailed Shama live?
The Rufous-tailed Shama is found across South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR Malay Pen., Sumatra and Borneo, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Rufous-tailed Shama belong to?
The Rufous-tailed Shama (Copsychus pyrropygus) belongs to the Muscicapidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Rufous-tailed Shama eat?
The Rufous-tailed Shama is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Rufous-tailed Shama migrate?
The Rufous-tailed Shama is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
What sound does the Rufous-tailed Shama make?
1 real field recording of the Rufous-tailed Shama — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
More in Muscicapidae
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
More in Songbirds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Guides for this bird
Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds
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.