A scarlet Minivet during rainfall, West Bengal

© Debapratim Saha/Minden Picture

Lovable south Asian songbird. Scarlet Minivet in West Bengal

The Scarlet Minivet (Pericrocotus speciosus) is a small south Asian songbird found across India, China, the Philippines and Indonesia. While the male of the species is coloured from scarlet to orange shades, with black upper parts – the females bear a yellowish hue with greyish upper parts. These birds prefer wooded and hilly habitat and are often found in gardens in India. Forming small flocks, the Scarlet Minivet makes its nest high up in trees, using spider webs to give it extra strength. Its song is a very pleasant whistle.