This Pied bush-chat (13-14.5 cm) is an unusually wide-spread species in Asia and western Oceania. It is divided into a total of 16 subspecies. (This bird belongs to either the subspecies belensis or aethiops). It is slightly larger than our European Winchat (Saxicola rubetra) (12-14 cm). The adult male in the picture is very characteristically colored: completely black with white upper and lower rump. The female and young male, on the other hand, are brown-grey. Because the bird is (mainly) black and plain, it has become a mythical bird in many places. Among the Kalam people of Papua New Guinea, it is considered a messenger from the gods.