Grandala

The grandala (Grandala coelicolor) is a species of bird in the thrush family Turdidae. It is the only species placed in the genus Grandala. It is an arboreal insectivore. It ranges across the northeastern Indian Subcontinent and some adjoining regions, existing primarily in the low-to-mid altitudes of the Himalayas. It is found in Bhutan, India, Myanmar, and Nepal, as well as Tibet and other areas of China.^[2]

Grandala
Grandalas in Nepal
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Turdidae
Genus:	Grandala Hodgson, 1843
Species:	G. coelicolor
Binomial name
Grandala coelicolor Hodgson, 1843

Description

The body length of the grandala is 20.5-23 cm, and it weighs from 38 to 52 g. The plumage of the male is blue-gray, only the tail and wings are black. The plumage of the female is brownish with white stripes; rump gray-blue; the tip and underside of the wing feathers are white. Birds usually make the sounds "dew-ee" and "dewee". In young birds, the plumage is similar to females, but does not have a bluish tint on the rump and upper tail integuments.^[3]

Behaviour

Grandala is a social bird; they feed on insects, fruits, berries.^[4]

Distribution

The grandala lives in a vast territory. In India it is found in the Himalayas from Kashmir (Kishenganga and Liddar valleys), Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand through Nepal, Sikkim, and east to Arunachal Pradesh. Though grandala is a common bird in that region, no scientific studies have been conducted.^[4]

Gallery

• 
  Illustration of male bird from The genera of birds, c. 1849
• 
  Illustration from Cassell's Book of Birds, c. 1875
• 
  Illustration by John Gould, c. 1850s
• 
• 
• 
  Three blue males and a grey female of Grandalas

References

1. BirdLife International (2018). "Grandala coelicolor". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T22710120A131956845. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22710120A131956845.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
2. "Grandala (Grandala coelicolor) - BirdLife species factsheet". datazone.birdlife.org. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
3. Robson, Craig (2015). Birds of South-East Asia (Concise ed.). London. p. 182. ISBN 978-1-84330-746-4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
4. "The Grandala: Flying Blue Gem of the Himalayas". RoundGlass | Sustain. 16 December 2021. Retrieved 11 May 2022.

External links

• Grandala at Birds of the World website
• Meet The Grandala