Golden Bush-Robin

Tarsiger chrysaeus

Shining and distinctively yellow robin of the montane forest understory. Male sports a blazing golden brow, yellow underparts, and a black face. Female is less contrastingly patterned, but still noticeably yellow, with browner underparts and a white eyering. Both sexes have a yellow panel on either side of the tail. Song is composed of rolling, buzzing notes; it is not as melodic as those of some other bush-robins.

Identification

This species is typically a 14–15 cm long species of songbird in the family Muscicapidae known for its golden color. The weight of a full-grown bird ranges from 12 to 15 grams. The male golden bush robins mainly have a brownish olive tone on their backs with a bright yellow-orange tone on their underside. As for female golden bush robins, they consist of the same color patterns although they are duller and not as vibrant as their male counterparts. Color patterns for a male juvenile are dark brown with buff streaks above and below the tail, while the pattern diffuses in females.

Taxonomy

Scientific name
Tarsiger chrysaeus
Authority
Hodgson, 1845
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Muscicapidae
Genus
Tarsiger

Range and habitat

Their habitat is dispersed around the Himalayan mountain range and surrounding highlands of Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Tibet, and Thailand living mainly in open areas with temperate forests, bamboo forests, grassland, and shrubland. Golden bush robins, white-browed bush robins, chestnut-crowned bush warblers, and Gould's shortwings display rare cases of exploiting human disturbance in their primary temperate forest habitat in the mountains of southern China. This behavior is likely a modification of pre-existing dietary habits as human disturbance continues to exploit natural resources in the area.

Migration
Complete migrants

Conservation

The golden bush robin's population is deemed stable and they are considered as least concern when it comes to their conservation status. The range of the golden bush robin spans multiple countries, making it difficult to fully document population trends and threats to its population.

Population trend
stable

Photos

Distribution

Bird Calls

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