Our literature is sprinkled with different versions of paradise in different contexts and it is not surprising that our feathered friends also have been linked to paradise! The birds of paradise of Amazons are well known to everyone but it may surprise you that Goa too has a bird linked to paradise which is so beautiful that it is called the Indian Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi). The adult males and females look very different from each other, a phenomenon known as sexual dimorphism, but the most amazing feature of this species is that even the males have two different colour morphs. The adult males of this species have two long tail feathers which can be as long as one foot in length! The adult male is a medium sized bird with glossy black head, perky crown and black throat. Some adult males are pure white while some are rufous, but all adult males have long tail feathers. Young males are rufous and have short tails. Females on the other hand are rufous, have short tails and grey throat.
A lot of research has been done to understand why there are two colour morphs in the males of this species and till date this is not well understood. However, the reason for the development of long tails, are well known. Males with long tails advertise to females that they are fit and in spite of having such a big handicap can survive in the harsh environment full of predators and diseases! Research has shown that males with longer tails are more successful in getting mates. This reasoning is very easy to understand since we can draw similar parallels from the human world too.
According to popular books on birds, two populations of this species are supposed to be found in Goa, a resident population and a migrant population that visits the state in winters and leaves for the Himalayas in summer for breeding but till date birders in Goa have not found proof of this and makes us suspect that the resident population might be undertaking local migration to avoid the wet monsoons.
Unlike their beautiful appearance the call of this species is very harsh single note “shreekk” often uttered while perched on a branch. The Indian Paradise Flycatcher as the name suggests in insectivorous and hunts for bees and flies snapping them from mid-air. They can be spotted in almost all wooded regions of Goa and even in the heart of Panaji or Margao. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has classified this species as “least concerned” and Goa too has a good population of them, but the rapid rate of deforestation could endanger their populations in the future.
Images by: Shashikant Naik, Arabinda Pal and Pronoy Baidya
Quick Facts
1. Found in India and Sri Lanka
2. Size is about 20 centimeters
3. Males and females look different (Sexual Dimorphism)
4. Adult males have one foot long tail feathers
5. Males with long tails are more successful in finding mates
6. Adult males can be white or rufous in colour
7. There are no breeding records of this species from Goa
8. They build hammock nests
9. Goa has a resident and a winter migrant population
Clockwise from top left: Indian Paradise Flycatcher- Adult Male (White Morph), Adult Male (Rufous Morph), Female & Juvenile Male.
