The fire-tailed myzornis

The fire-tailed myzornis (Myzornis pyrrhoura) is a bird species formerly placed in the Old World babbler family (Timaliidae). Its genus Myzornis is monotypic, and has recently been placed in the (much reduced) Old World warbler family Sylviidae. The species is found in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal. The fire-tailed myzornis is a small species of warbler, 11 to 13 cm long and weighing 10 to 13 g.

The fire-tailed myzornis has bright green plumage with a black mask around the eyes and black scalloping on the crown. The fire-tailed myzornis prefers bamboo thickets, Rhododendron shrubs, birches, and junipers. The species localized distribution and travels in small groups (3-4) or with other small babblers. This species was socially monogamous and sexually dimorphic both in plumage pattern and body size.

The species wing is black and white with a streak of bright red and the sides of the tail are red too. The bill is long, slightly curved and black. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is a common species in the upper ridges of the Sikkim and Arunachal Himalayas.

The fire-tailed myzornis is mostly seen between 9,000 feet to 13,000 according to climatic conditions and seasonal variation. The fire-tailed myzornis is capable of sustained stationary hovering flight much like sunbirds. It can also be seen running up moss-covered tree trunks like a creeper. Myzornis had larger and heavier nests, fewer but larger eggs, and a longer nestling period.

The fire-tailed myzornis normally eats insects, arachnids, berries, and flower nectar. The bird breeding season starts from April to July. Males and females made virtually equal contributions in breeding activities, including incubation, provisioning, brooding, and nest sanitation. The nest were built by both sexes and a globular structure made of moss and placed 1 to 6 m above the ground in moss, on a rock face or in a trunk with moss and lichen.

The fire-tailed myzornis is resident species with some altitudinal movement. This is usually a silent bird, can utter a high-pitched “tsit–tsit“. These life-history traits may facilitate its reproduction in the cold alpine areas of the Gaoligong Mountains. This species has a very large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion. The population size has not been quantified, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable. For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern. Source: CP

 

 

 

The White-whiskered Laughingthrush

The White-whiskered Laughingthrush or Formosan laughing thrush ‘Garrulax morrisonianus’ is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. The White-whiskered Laughingthrush is a large 26 to 28cm with a distinctive face pattern. This specie is endemic to montane forests of the island of Taiwan. This beautiful Taiwanese mystery bird lives on the sides of mountains and engages in a migration that is not triggered by season what triggers its movements and where does it go.

The White-whiskered bill is thrush like and yellowish to horn colored.  The White-whiskered Laughingthrush eyes are black and legs are strong and brownish pink. The bird body weight is approximately 77 grams. The bird didn’t afraid of humans as it is very sociable species that often seen in large groups. The bird is very friendly and approachable; often moving about foraging for berries in pairs or small parties. It has a nice range of calls, some very loud.

The White-whiskered Laughingthrush, naturally found see at elevations of 2500 meters above sea level.  The species found in tall grass, forest undergrowth, thickets, and forest edge scrub. The White-whiskered Laughingthrush enter open areas by roadsides and in forest clearings. It is more abundant in mixed coniferous forest than in grassland, pine woodland, or spruce forest; along with Taiwan fulvetta (Fulvetta formosana) and Taiwan yuhina (Yuhina brunneiceps). The bird is habitually a dominant species in a ground omnivore. This species pairs are monogamous and stay together even in non-breeding periods.

The White-whiskered Laughingthrush feature is the double white stripes, one sub-moustachial the other a supercilium. Because of his lovely features give it the local name of ‘four eye-browed thrush’. The head, breast and mantel have a pleasant scaly appearance. There is a lovely ‘olive-gold wing panel’ The White-whiskered Laughingthrush is a common species in Taiwan. The bird population is falling between 10,000 and 100,000 breeding pairs. However, the bird’s population is believed to be decreasing because of habitat destruction and fragmentation. Hence it is not considered a vulnerable species. Also Read about: Himalayan Cutia
Source: CP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Yellow Bittern (Ixobrychus sinensis)

The yellow bittern (Ixobrychus sinensis) is a small bittern. It is of Old World origins, breeding in the northern Indian Subcontinent, east to Japan and Indonesia. It is mainly resident, but some northern birds migrate short distances. It has been recorded as a vagrant in Alaska and there is a single sighting in Britain, from Radipole Lake, Dorset on November 23, 1962 – however, the BOU have always considered this occurrence to be of uncertain provenance and currently it is not accepted onto the official British List.

This is a small species at 36 to 38 cm (14 to 15 in) in length, with a short neck and longish bill. The male is uniformly dull yellow above and buff below. The head and neck are chestnut, with a black crown. The female's crown, neck and breast are streaked brown, and the juvenile is like the female but heavily streaked brown below, and mottled with buff above. Yellow bitterns feed on insects, fish and amphibians.

Eurasian Hoopoe

The Hoopoe is also known by “Upupa epops”. ‘Upupa’ and ‘epops’ are the Latin and Ancient Greek names for this species. Hoopoes are a regular passage migrant to the UK, usually during spring and autumn, with approximately 100 birds visiting each year. They are usually seen along the south and east coasts of England, but can appear anywhere. An exotic looking bird that is the size of a mistle thrush, weighing from 47 to 87g. The hoopoe has has a pinkish-brown body, measuring 26 – 28 cm in length. It has striking black and white striped wings measuring a wingspan of 42 – 46cm. When in flight, the wings are broad and rounded. The tail is black with a broad white band. Juveniles are duller with off-white wing bars. The hoopoe also has a long pinkish-brown crest which it raises when excited, and when landing the crest is usually raised into a fan-shape for a brief moment.