The Larwo shama is a medium sized passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. It is native to central and eastern Java. It was formerly considered to be conspecific with the white-rumped shama.
Region
Java, Indonesia
Typical Environment
Found in primary and secondary evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, forest edges, and well-vegetated ravines. It frequents bamboo thickets, scrubby foothills, and wooded gardens near forest margins. The species prefers dense understory cover and tangled vines where it can forage and sing from low perches. It tolerates some habitat degradation but declines where understory is heavily cleared.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
This shama is a prized songbird in Java, renowned for its rich, variable song and mimicry. Heavy trapping for the cage-bird trade has put strong pressure on wild populations. Males have notably long tails used in display, while females are shorter-tailed and duller. It was formerly treated as part of the White-rumped Shama complex before being recognized as distinct.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with frequent tail-flicking; agile sallies from perches
Social Behavior
Typically seen singly or in pairs, defending territories with persistent song. Pairs are monogamous during the breeding season and nest in cavities, tree holes, or dense shrubs lined with roots and fibers. Both parents tend chicks, and males perform conspicuous tail displays during courtship.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A rich, melodious series of fluty whistles and varied phrases delivered from concealed perches. Males are accomplished mimics, incorporating sounds from other species. Song is strongest at dawn and dusk but can continue throughout the day in shaded forest.
Plumage
Glossy black head, throat, and upperparts with a contrasting white rump and long, black tail; rich rufous to chestnut underparts. Females are browner and duller above with greyer tones on the head and shorter tails.
Diet
Primarily hunts insects such as beetles, ants, termites, grasshoppers, and caterpillars, along with spiders and other small arthropods. Occasionally takes small fruits or berries when available. Captures prey by sallying from low perches or gleaning among leaf litter and understory foliage.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in shaded understory, along forest edges, and near clearings with dense shrub layers. Often forages on or near the ground, moving methodically through tangles and bamboo.
