see text The magpie-robins or shamas (from shama, Bengali and Hindi for C. malabaricus)[2] are medium-sized insectivorous birds (some also eat berries and other fruit) in the genus Copsychus.

The genus Copsychus was introduced by the German naturalist Johann Georg Wagler in 1827.

[3] The type species was subsequently designated as the oriental magpie-robin (Copsychus saularis) by the English zoologist George Robert Gray in 1840.

[4][5] The name Copsychus is from the Ancient Greek kopsukhos or kopsikhos, meaning "blackbird".

[6] The genus contains 17 species:[7] The Seychelles magpie-robin is one of the most endangered birds in the world, with a population of less than 250, although this is a notable increase from just 16 in 1970.