White-Crowned Forktail

The white-crowned forktail is the largest of the forktails, 25–28 cm long, formally described in 1818 and with five subspecies, each occupying a different geographic range. It has a black throat and breast, a black mantle and largely black wings, a white rump and lower back and a prominent white crown that gives it its name; as with other forktails, the tail is long, deeply forked and banded black and white. It is found in China, Southeast Asia and north-eastern parts of the Indian subcontinent, common through most of its range (Wikipedia, general species account).

A shy bird, it stays near water and forages on the edges of rivers and streams for invertebrates, with a variety of whistling and clicking calls. The breeding season is between March and September, and nests are built near water of plant material. Clutches are two to five eggs, varying with latitude (Wikipedia, general species account).