From Opus

Revision as of 15:40, 16 November 2008

Photo by suleesia

Orthotomus ruficeps

Identification

12cm. Dark ashy-grey, whitish abdomen, rufous face, crown and throat. Female: Paler and duller than the male; pale chest and white belly. Juvenile: Paler with whitish throat

Distribution

Indochina, down through peninsular Malaysia to the Greater Sundas and Palawan, Brunei, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.

Taxonomy

Olive-backed Tailorbird was considered conspecific with this species, but the split is widely accepted now.

Habitat

Mangroves, swampy forest and coastal scrub.

Behaviour

The females sew a pouch from a large living leaf for their nest; the leaf is curled together by twisting spider web strands around it, the edges are joined together by making tiny holes on the edges of leaf with their pointed bills and finally through the holes, they lace through fibres from bark or cottony seed fibres. 2-6 pale blue eggs are laid and both parents incubate and raise the young. Chicks fledge in about 2 weeks.

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