Descriptive List of the Common Birds 
The redstart is an easy bird to identify, it 
behaves as though it had St. Vitus’ dance in the 
tail. As it flies away all the red in its plumage 
shows, so that the bird looks like a ball of 
fire. It feeds largely on the ground, taking 
cover in bushes when alarmed. It frequents 
gardens. 
A winter visitor to India. Very common in 
the north and rarer in the south. 
66. Thamnobia cambaiensis: The Brown- 
backed Indian Robin. (F. 661), (J. 480), (+1.) 
Cock: A glossy black bird with a brown 
back, a narrow white bar in the wing, and a 
conspicuous patch of brick-red under the tail. 
Hen: A sandy brown bird with a brick-red 
patch under the tail. 
A familiar bird which haunts gardens and is 
very partial to dry sandy localities. It builds a 
neat cup-shaped nest on window-ledges or in 
holes in walls, banks, etc. It usually carries 
the tail raised almost vertically and so dis- 
plays the red patch. Occurs all over Northern 
India. South of the Godaveri it is replaced 
by 67. 
67. Thamnobia fulicata: The Black-backed 
Indian Robin. (F. 662), (J. 479), (+1. 
The hen of this species is scarcely distinguish- 
I 129 
