Wildlifeof India
Grey Hypocolius
Tits, Nuthatches & Treecreepers
Photo: (c) Nishant Purushottam Berde, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY (May be cropped or resized)
Hypocolius ampelinus
Basic stats
Diet
Mainly fruit, some insects; on migration, often the fruit of Salvadora persica
Habitat
Dry semi-desert
Range
Northern Africa, Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and western India; winters mostly near the Red Sea and Persian Gulf coasts
Clutch size
3–5 leaden-white eggs with blotches
Incubation period
14–15 days; fledging 13–14 days after hatching
Size
19–21cm
The grey hypocolius is the sole member of its genus and family, Hypocoliidae. It is a slim, long-tailed bird 19–21 cm long with a slight crest and a thick, short, hook-tipped bill, and its shape and soft, satiny plumage resemble a waxwing's. Birds are mainly a uniform grey or brownish-grey, males with a black triangular mask around the eyes (Wikipedia, general species account).
It is found in the dry semi-desert of northern Africa, Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and western India, and is a regular winter visitor to the Kutch and Jamnagar region of western India, with vagrants as far south as Kihim near Mumbai. It breeds in the Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkmenistan area. It flies in flocks and forages mainly on fruit but also some insects. The clutch is three to five eggs, both parents incubating and feeding the chicks. SoIB 2023 rates it a Moderate conservation priority, a winter migrant with a Restricted range of about 9,440 km² (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).
Quick answers
- What does the Grey Hypocolius eat?
- Mainly fruit, some insects; on migration, often the fruit of Salvadora persica
- What habitat does the Grey Hypocolius live in?
- Dry semi-desert
- Where is the Grey Hypocolius found?
- Northern Africa, Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and western India; winters mostly near the Red Sea and Persian Gulf coasts
- How many eggs does the Grey Hypocolius lay?
- 3–5 leaden-white eggs with blotches
- How long are the eggs of the Grey Hypocolius incubated?
- 14–15 days; fledging 13–14 days after hatching
- How big is the Grey Hypocolius?
- 19–21cm