Grandala
Genus of birds
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Through Insectivore, Indian subcontinent and China
Description
The body length of the grandala is 19-23 cm, and it weighs from 38–52 g. The plumage of the male is intense dark blue, with the tail and wings blacker. The plumage of the female is greyish-brownish with fine white streaks on the underparts; rump greyish-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.
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Behaviour
Grandala is a social bird; they feed on insects, and small fruit such as Vaccinium berries.
Distribution
The grandala is a partial altitudinal migrant, breeding in high alpine scrub and meadows at 3,900–5,500 m altitude in summer, and descending to 2,000–4,300 m in winter, when it can be found in orchards. 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.