The flycatcher-shrikes are two species of small Asian passerine bird belonging to the genus Hemipus. They are now usually placed in the Vangidae.
Description They are in length.Robson, Craig (2002) A Field Guide to the Birds of South-east Asia, New Holland, London. They are slender birds with fairly long wings and tails. The bill and feet are black.MacKinnon, John & Phillipps, Karen (1993) A Field Guide to the Birds of Borneo, Sumatra, Java and Bali, Oxford University Press, Oxford. The plumage is dark above and pale below with white on the rump. The bar-winged flycatcher-shrike has a large white patch on the wing which the black-winged flycatcher-shrike lacks.
Distribution and range They are found in broad-leaved forest, forest edge and secondary forest in southern Asia. Both species have large ranges and are not considered to be threatened. The bar-winged flycatcher-shrike occurs in the Indian subcontinent, south-west China, mainland South-east Asia and on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. The black-winged flycatcher-shrike is found in the Malay Peninsula and on Sumatra, Borneo, Java and Bali.
Behaviour They forage actively in the forest canopy for insects. They are often found in groups and frequently join mixed-species foraging flocks. They will also catch insects in flight.Perrins, Christopher, ed. (2004) The New Encyclopedia of Birds, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
The nest is cup-shaped and built on a tree branch. Two or three eggs are laid; they are greenish or pinkish with darker markings. Both parents are involved in building the nest, incubating the eggs and rearing the young.
Species list Image Scientific name Common name Distribution Hemipus hirundinaceus Black-winged flycatcher-shrike Malay Peninsula to Sumatra, Borneo, Java and Bali. Hemipus picatus Bar-winged flycatcher-shrike Indomalaya
See also The two shrike-flycatcher species of Africa are also occasionally known as flycatcher-shrikes: Crested flycatcher-shrike: see black-and-white shrike-flycatcher (Bias musicus) Red-eyed flycatcher-shrike: see African shrike-flycatcher (Megabyas flammulatus)
References