- Orthotomus ruficeps
Identification
12cm.
Male:
- 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
Southeast Asia (endemic): found in Indochina, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Malay Peninsula, Brunei, Singapore, Philippines, Island of Borneo, Indonesia, Greater Sundas, Sumatra, Java, Lesser Sundas, Bali
Taxonomy
Subspecies[1]
Clements recognises 8 subspecies
- O. r. cineraceus:
- O. r. baeus:
- Nias and Pagai islands (off western Sumatra)
- O. r. concinnus:
- Siberut and Sipoura islands (off western Sumatra)
- O. r. ruficeps:
- Coastal mangroves of Java
- O. r. palliolatus:
- Kangean and Karimunjawa islands (Java Sea)
- O. r. baweanus:
- Bawean Island (Java Sea)
- O. r. borneoensis:
- O. r. cagayanensis:
- Cagayan Sulu (south-western Philippines)
Olive-backed Tailorbird was considered conspecific with this species, but the split is widely accepted now.
Habitat
Mainly mangroves but also swampy forest and coastal scrub, forest edges, open country, lowland plantations, wooded gardens and secondary jungle.
Behaviour
Diet
They are often seen feeding on small insects in pairs or small family group.
Breeding
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. [1]
References
- Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- Avibase
- Naturia
- BF Member observations
