Long-tailed Sibia

Photo © by Peter Ericsson
Fraser's hill, Malaysia, August 2006

Heterophasia picaoides

Identification

With 21 - 24cm an unmistakable Sibia¹:

• Grey to greyish-brown
• Long, white wing patch
• Extremly long, graduated, broadly white-tipped tail
• Slender bill which is slightly downcurved
• Dark, red eyes

Juveniles have gre eyes. Can be confused with Grey Treepie, Green-billed Malkoha or a Blue Magpie in flight.

Distribution

Found from the Himalayas (Central Nepal) east over Sikkim and Bhutan to NE India and NE Bangladesh to Myanmar, Thailand, S China (Yunnan, Guangxi) and Laos. Also south to Peninsular Malaysia and on Sumatra (Indonesia).
Very rare in Nepal but common in most other parts of its range.¹

Taxonomy

Usually four subspecies are recognized^{1, 2}:

• H. p. picaoides from C Nepal east to Bhutan, NE India, N Myanmar, S China (Yunnan) and also NE Bangladesh
• H. p. cana in Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and SE China (SE Yunnan to W Guangxi)
• H. p. wrayi in Peninsular Malaysia
• H. p. simillima on Sumatra

Cana is sometimes considered doubtfully valid.¹
If the genera Leioptila and Malacias would be accepted, this species would be the only remaining member of Heterophasia.¹

Habitat

Broadleaf evergreen forest, forest edge, secondary growth, open scrub with large trees, forest clearings. Usually found between 100m and 3000m. ¹

Behaviour

Feeds on inscects, flower buds, fruits, berries and seeds. Also known to take nectar. Forages mostly in the canopy.
Seen in pairs or small groups of 4 - 15 birds, sometimes more. Often with other species in bird waves.
Breeding season from February to August. The nest is a deep cup made of moss with dead leaves, placed on a horizontal branch or suspended from thin twigs of a tree, 6 - 9m above the ground.
Resident species, unconfirmed altitudinal movement reported.¹

References

1. del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A. and Christie, D.A. eds. 2007. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 12. Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 84-96553-42-6
2. Clements James F. 2007. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2007. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. ISBN 9780801445019

External Links

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