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| The Blood-Red Winged Lightning Bolt – The Scarlet Minivet, Male |
| The Scarlet Minivet is a robust Minivet with heavy bill, relatively broad tail. It is a brilliantly and brightly coloured forest bird, typically encountered in flocks. The male of most subspecies is scarlet to orange with black upper parts, the females are usually yellow with greyish olive upper parts. Forages in small flocks, almost ‘bouncing’ from treetop to treetop. Highly distinctive vocalisations, colouration and behaviour make it hard to miss when it is present. The Wing of the Male has a distinctive bright red-coloured Lightning bolt on it. . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. …. ……. . .. … …… ………………………. ………….. ……………….. .. …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. … …. ………… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. ……………. …… …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. .. ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. …………. The Scarlet Minivet is a medium-sized bird, that measures 17 to 22 cm. Quite slim it weighs between 19 to 25 gms. A robust Minivet with a heavy bill and a relatively broad tail. Male has head, chin, throat and mantle to upper back glossy blue-black, lower back, rump and uppertail-coverts fiery orange-red; upper black, greater coverts broadly tipped orange-red, remiges with broad band of orange-red near base, three innermost secondaries/tertials with red spot or line near tip of outer webs; rectrices black, all except central pair with orange-red tip, red increasing in extent on outers; underparts bright orange-red, thighs blackish, underwing-coverts bright yellow; iris dark brown; bill and legs black. Distinguished from all congeners by isolated red markings near tips of tertials and inner secondaries. The Female has forehead and broad supraloral line bright yellow, crown to back and upperwing-coverts ashy grey to olive-washed grey, lower back, rump and uppertail-coverts greenish-yellow, remiges and rectrices blackish, red areas of male replaced by yellow; entirely bright yellow below. Juveniles are like females, but has yellowish scaly markings from crown to mantle, greyish scaling on breast side and flanks, with upperwing-coverts and tertials broadly edged yellow, suggestion of adult pattern on tertials/inner secondaries; immature as adult female, but young male has yellow areas of latter more orange. There is considerable geographic variation in this species and several disjunct populations exist. There are Nineteen subspecies currently recognized. Races vary mainly in size, shade of red on male underparts, shade of yellow on female underparts, extent of bright colour on central rectrices and wings. The sub-species semiruber found in Meghalaya differs from the nominate speciosus speciosus in smaller size, male outer webs of central rectrices usually red. . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. …. ……. . .. … …… ………………………. ………….. ……………….. .. …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. … …. ………… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. ……………. …… …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. .. ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. …………. There is considerable geographic variation in this species and several disjunct populations exist. Colouration also varies significantly throughout wide distribution, with males ranging from black-and-crimson (most of mainland Asia) to black-and-yellow (Southern Philippines) and black-and-orange (Java and Bali). Females are predominantly grey-and-yellow, but Southern Philippine and Western Indonesian birds are black-and-yellow. In all subspecies, note the coloured “blotches” on the wings (other minivets have cleaner wing patterns) and femaleÂ’s yellow forehead. . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. …. ……. . .. … …… ………………………. ………….. ……………….. .. …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. … …. ………… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. ……………. …… …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. .. ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. …………. This Minivet is found in tropical Southern Asia from North East India to Southern China, Indonesia, and the Philippines. They are common resident breeding birds in forests and other well-wooded habitats including gardens, especially in hilly country. Found in Broadleaf evergreen, semi-evergreen and deciduous forests , and peatswamp-forest; occurs also in orchards. In disturbed forest requires good cover of tall trees, and avoids low regrowth. Hills and mountains upto 2100 mtr. Mostly resident. Some altitudinal movements; in Himalayan region, descends from breeding areas (up to 1800 mtrs or higher) to lower elevations and plains in winter. . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. …. ……. . .. … …… ………………………. ………….. ……………….. .. …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. … …. ………… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. ……………. …… …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. .. ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. …………. This Minivet catches insects in trees by flycatching or while perched. It flushes insects out of foliage by beating its wings hard. Scarlet minivet will form small flocks. Its song is a pleasant whistling. Eats mainly insects, including caterpillars, grasshoppers and green crickets and cicadas; also, spiders. Gregarious; regularly joins mixed-species foraging flocks. Forages in canopy or in crowns of emergent trees; visits crops of ripe figs, apparently for insects attracted by the fruit. Prey taken mainly in canopy foliage; also sallies after flushed prey, and hovers in front of flowers. . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. …. ……. . .. … …… ………………………. ………….. ……………….. .. …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. … …. ………… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. ……………. …… …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. .. ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. …………. The Call/ Song The Scarlet Minivet is a Loud, piercing whistles, “sweep-sweep-sweep-sweep”, “weep-weep-weep-wit-wip” and similar. Gives high whistled “wheeep” notes, often when flying over the treetops. . . . . ……… … …. ………… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………. …… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………………….. … ………… ….. ………. …… ………….. ………… ………… …. … … …… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………………….. … ………… ….. ………. …… ………….. ………… ………… …. … ……………. …… ……………. ………… ….. ……………………………. …. …. ……………………….. …. …. … .. ……….. .. …………………. …. …………………….. ….. …………….. . Description Credit – Birds of the World (The Cornell Lab), Oiseaux, Animalia, Ogaclicks, Birds of India | Bird World, Bird Count India & Wiki. |
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