The heads of these birds are glossy black with a black crown and crest, their black bill round and sturdy, and their eyes black. Females are rufous on the back with a greyish throat and underparts. Young males look very much like females but have a black throat and blue-ringed eyes. As adults, they develop up to 24 cm (9.4 in) long tail feathers with two central tail feathers growing up to 30 cm (12 in) long drooping streamers. Young males are rufous and have short tails. They acquire long tails in their second or third year. Adult males are either predominantly bright rufous above or predominantly white. Some specimens show some degree of intermediacy between rufous and white. Long-tailed rufous birds are generally devoid of shaft streaks on the wing and tail feathers, while in white birds the shaft streaks, and sometimes the edges of the wing and tail feathers are black.
Indian paradise flycatchers are found in the Indian subcontinent, Central Asia, and Myanmar. They are migratory birds and spend the winter season in tropical Asia. In southern India and Sri Lanka especially the highlands and western parts of Sri Lanka, both locally breeding populations and visiting migrants occur in winter. Indian paradise flycatchers inhabit temperate forests and tropical rainforests with shrubby vegetation, montane forests, and mangroves. They also occur in cultivated areas, suburban and urban areas.
Indian paradise flycatchers are usually seen singly or in pairs. They are active during the daylight hours spending most of their time foraging. They catch insects in the air often below a densely canopied tree. They move quickly between the branches and are mainly arboreal. Indian paradise flycatchers may sometimes gather in mixed flocks. They communicate with each other using various calls and songs.
Indian paradise flycatchers are carnivores (insectivores) and feed on various insects.
Indian paradise flycatchers are socially monogamous; they form pairs in which both males and females take part in nest-building, incubation, brooding, and feeding of the young. They breed from May to July. The nest is sometimes built in the vicinity of a breeding pair of drongos, which keep predators away. The female lays up to 4 eggs in a neat cup nest made with twigs and spider webs on the end of a low branch. Chicks hatch in about 14-16 days. They are altricial (blind and helpless) and stay in the nest for 9 to 12 days.
There are no major threats to this species at present.
According to the IUCN Red List, the Indian paradise flycatcher is common throughout its range but no overall population estimate is available. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
