Vinous-pink head, neck and breast broken by broad band of cinnamon-tipped display feathers. The mantle, scapulars and inner wing-coverts range from reddish-brown to pale orangey-brown. The outer wing-coverts, back and rump vary from blue-grey to pale grey.

Adult male: The head and hind neck are mauve-pink. The back and much of the wing coverts are rusty red-brown. The lower back and upper side of the closed tail are blue-grey. The throat is mauve-pink, lighter beneath the bill. The breast is mauve pink, shading to cream on the belly and white on the under-tail coverts. There is a broad band of golden copper feathers with black bases on the sides and front of the neck. The inner wings coverts are rusty red-brown, as is the back. The outer wing coverts are blue-grey to slate. The primaries and secondaries are dark brown-grey. The wing lining is blue-grey. The central tail feathers are brown-grey, the outer ones grey with broad white tips. The bill is dark grey-brown. The iris is dark brown. The legs and feet are purple-pink.

Adult female: The female is similar to the make but generally duller. The back is not so red-brown as in the male. The breast is not so pink. The bill is dark grey-brown. The iris is dark brown and the eye-ring is light grey with pink edge. The legs and feet are dull red.

Juvenile: The juvenile differs from the adult in the following ways. The general color above is dull brown, the upper side of the tail is darker. It lacks the coppery display plumage on the neck. The under-side of the neck is pale brown. The breast is brown with pink suffusion shading to pale brown on the lower breast and abdomen. Most body feathers have paler-colored tips. The wing coverts are blue-grey. The flight feathers are brown with lighter edges. The upper side of the tail is brown. The bill is dark grey. The iris is light brown. The legs and feet are red-pink.

Other Names:

Africa, Asia Minor, the Indian subcontinent. Dry habitats, nesting in bushes or trees, like mangoes and orange groves.

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