THE DHYAL BIRD.


( Copsych us sa 71 la ris) .

Notes by the Rev. Hubert D. Asti^ky.


In India this Dhyal Bird is found in every part of the

Empire, and is a resident of Ceylon and Southern China.

When a lady saw the male bird that I once kept in a cage for a

few years, she immediately recognised it as a species of bird that

as a child she had often seen hopping about in the gardens of

Penang. (I think Penang was the place named by her).


Those that are brought over in captivity invariably seem

to be extremely tame, and many are bold enough lo attack one's

fingers when placed to the bars of the cage. Dhyal birds are, I

believe, favourite cage-pets amongst the Chinese gentry, who, as

they do with other birds, carr}^ them about with them in small

cane cages in order to enjoy their company and their song. As

to the latter, the Dhyal bird, although related very closely to the

Indian Shama, cannot sing so melodiously ; for its notes, in my

opinion, are harsher and wanting in variety ; still, he is a good

songster and a gay one.


Mr. L,ydekker describes the adult male as follows : —

"Head, neck, breast, and upper-parts glossy black, the wings

and tail are black, varied with white ; and the abdomen and

under tail-coverts white. The female has the upper-parts of

an uniform dark brown glossed with bluish ; the throat and

breast dark grey ; and the wings and tail dark brown varied

with white." The male Dhyal bird might well be roughly

described as a miniature Magpie. In size he is rather larger

than a Shama, although the tail is not nearly so long.


A very delightful cage-bird,, bold and happy in disposition,

and seemingly not difiicult to keep in health, eating any good

mixture of food for insectivorous birds, with the usual addition

of mealworms, raw beef, and fruit, etc.


My bird would perch on my hand, pecking most pug-

naciously at my fingers, puffing out his feathers and singing

sotto voce.


Probabl}^ a pair of Dhyal birds would nest in an outdoor

aviary, where they might have a chance of catching insects,

which could be attracted within the wire by a piece of meat

hung up. Gentles could be supplied by such means, and might

serve for the constant demand made by insectivorous birds when

they have young in the nest.



