Fulvous Parrotbill
Suthora fulvifrons
Small, ornate parrotbill with a pale belly and a long gray eyebrow. Orange overall with dark wing panels and a variable amount of white on the face. Central Chinese birds have a white face patch, while southern Chinese and Himalayan birds are limited to a short and largely unnoticeable white stripe under the cheek. Moves in large flocks through bamboo stands in coniferous and mixed foothill and montane forests. Lacks the dark throat of Black-throated and Golden Parrotbills.
Identification
The species is small, 12 to 12.5 cm (4.7–4.9 in) in length. The plumage of the nominate is dominated by a rich buff head, upper wing coverts, flanks, rump and tail. The belly is white and the face is dominated by a black stripe above the eye that gets larger towards the middle and then smaller again, and a faint white stripe below the face. The sexes are alike; the juvenile resembles the adult but is darker, particularly below. P. f. chayulensis has a paler belly than the nominate, P. f. albifacies has a darker stripe above the eye, and P. f. cyanophrys has a blue-grey eyestripe and brighter plumage overall.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Suthora fulvifrons
- Authority
- (Hodgson, 1845)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Paradoxornithidae
- Genus
- Suthora
Range and habitat
The fulvous parrotbill is a bamboo specialist, exclusively living on dense stands of bamboo in or near forests. It lives in montane stands, ranging from 2,440–3,660 m (8,010–12,010 ft), most commonly above 2,700 m (8,900 ft) but sometimes down to 1,700 m (5,600 ft). The species is not thought to be migratory.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The fulvous parrotbill feeds on the buds of bamboo and birches, as well as tiny seeds and insects. In order to aid the digestion of their food they will swallow grit to act as a gizzard stone. When not breeding they will form flocks of up to 20 or 30 birds.<p>The nests of the fulvous parrotbill are bowl-shaped and built by both parents from bamboo leaves, rootlets and mosses. They are placed in dense stands of bamboo, between 0.7–1.9 m (2.3–6.2 ft) off the ground. The average clutch size is around 3.3 eggs, which are pale blue. Both parents incubate the eggs and care for the nestlings. Nesting success is low, possibly because of human disturbance.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Hodgson's Redstart
Phoenicurus hodgsoni
Male very similar in appearance to Daurian Redstart; note more restricted silver on the forehead and less distinct wing panel. Female’s lack of a white wing patch distinguishes her from female Daurian, and she averages paler than female Black Redstart, with a brighter eye-ring. Blue-fronted Redstart female can be similar; Hodgson’s female is colder-toned with a single dark stripe down the tail instead of Blue-fronted’s inverted “T.” Hodgson’s breeds in hilly and montane open forests and forest edge; descends in the winter, favoring scrubby edge.
Raso Skylark
Alauda razae
Found only on Raso Island of the Cape Verdes. Overall grayish-brown and moderately streaked including the breast. Note the large and heavy bill. Sometimes erects small crest. Belongs to the same genus as Eurasian Skylark, but is smaller with shorter wings and tail than Eurasian Skylark. Found along dry riverbeds on flat plains. Song is similar to that of Crested Lark. Call a short rattle, "Chureep."
Scarce Swift
Schoutedenapus myoptilus
Medium-sized, uniformly dark swift with a long, thin tail. Overall coloration is pale gray with a paler throat, but often looks blackish when seen in flight overhead. Flight is fluttering and not very strong. Found over a wide variety of habitats at middle and high elevations. Usually in flocks, sometimes mixed with other swift species. The call is a mellow, chirping trill. Similar to African Palm-Swift, but darker. Very similar in shape to White-rumped Swift, but lacks white throat and rump patches. Can be mistaken for other swift species such as African and Common Swifts, but has slimmer body, longer and slimmer tail, and less powerful flight style.
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