The Common Birds of the Nilgiris 



catcher (Qchromela nigrirufa) is a bird peculiar 

 to the hills of Southern India. 



The head and wings of the cock are black, 

 the rest of the body is orange, of deeper hue 

 on the back and breast than on the other parts. 

 The portions of the plumage that are black in 

 the cock are slaty brown in the hen. This 

 flycatcher feeds on insects. But unlike most 

 of its kind, it picks them off the ground more 

 often than it secures them in the air. 



It never takes a long flight, and almost in- 

 variably perches on a branch not more than 

 two feet above the ground. It emits a low 

 cheeping note — a chur-r-r, which is not unlike 

 the sound made by some insects. 



The Nilgiri blue-flycatcher (Stoparola albi- 

 caudata) is stoutly-built and a little larger than 

 a sparrow. The male is clothed from head to 

 tail in dark blue ; his wife is more dingy, 

 having a plentiful admixture of brownish grey 

 in her plumage. Blue-flycatchers often occur 

 in little flocks. They have the usual habits of 

 their family, except that they seem sometimes 

 to eat fruit. 



A pretty little bird, of which the head, back, 

 tail, and wings are deep blue, and the breast 

 is orange fading into pale yellow towards the 



201 



