Animalia Life

Leiothrix lutea
SUBFAMILY
Timaliinae
TAXONOMY
Sylvia lutea Scopoli, 1786, Anhui. Five subspecies generally recognized.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Pekin robin, red-billed hill tit; French: Lйiothrix jaune; German: Sonnenvogel.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
6 in (15.5 cm); 0.8 oz (22 g). Unmistakable combination of red bill, dark eyes with white ring, orange chest, yellow throat, olive back, orange and yellow wings, and uniquely forked tail.
DISTRIBUTION
The length of the Himalayas, Assam, western and northern Myanmar, southern China, northern Vietnam. Introduced in Hawaiian islands of Oahu, Hawaii, Maui, Molokai, and Kaua’i, though now possibly extinct on last island.
HABITAT
Undergrowth of secondary forests and bamboo stands, gardens.
BEHAVIOR
Found in groups, which, when perched, typically maintain close bodily contact with frequent mutual preening. In winter, moves to lower elevations.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Groups mostly forage near ground for insects, fruits, seeds, and flowers.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Apparent group courtship, followed by pairs separating off and setting up territories. Distinctive male territorial song. Both sexes build cup-shaped nest from a variety of plant materials and cocoon silk. Usual clutch three to four greenish white, variously speckled eggs.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not threatened. Massive exploitation for cage bird trade led to listing as CITES Appendix II in 1997. China banned commercial export of songbirds in 2001. Mysterious, brightly colored L. lutea astleyi may represent a population trapped to extinction.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
Enormously popular cage bird. Implicated in spreading malaria to native Hawaiian birds.

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