Vinous-throated Parrotbill Suthora webbiana Scientific name definitions

11–12.5 cm; male 8.5–11 g, female 7–12 g (suffusa, fulvicauda, mantschurica). A relatively small and long-tailed parrotbill. Nominate subspecies in fresh plumage (November) has rufescent-brown forehead to crown merging with upper­part color on nape/uppermost mantle, lores buffier than crown; upperparts warm-tinged mid-brown, slightly buffier on uppertail-coverts; flight-feathers and tertials dark brown with buffish-cream inner edges, outer fringes of secondaries and primaries strongly rufous-chestnut, paler and buffier on last two-thirds to three-quarters of fringe (towards tip) on primaries p7-p9, then gradually decreasing towards feather tips on inner primaries, outer fringes of tertials buffier than those of secondaries; upperwing-coverts appear roughly intermediate in color between upperparts and wings; uppertail dark brown, with outer feather fringes similar in color to upperparts (particularly towards bases); ear-coverts to throat and upper breast pinkish-cream with rather faint warmish brown streaks, flanks and undertail-coverts similar in color to upperparts but paler and buffier, abdomen centre more buffish-cream and merging with breast color; iris brown to pale gray; bill dark slate-colored with lighter tip of lower mandible, or brown with yellow tip; legs grayish-brown. Sexes alike. Juvenile  is darker and more uniform above than adult, with less bright and contrasting crown, slightly warmer upperparts, plainer and buffier underparts with less pink and less obvious streaking. Subspecies differ mainly in tone of colors: <em>suffusa</em> is slightly brighter than nominate, more rufous-chestnut on crown to uppermost mantle, a shade colder/darker above  , perhaps slightly warmer and more intense vinous-pinkish below; elisabethae is similar to previous, but with somewhat darker and more chestnut forehead to uppermost mantle, somewhat duller throat and upper breast with less distinct streaks, and buffier belly (also, bill described as dull grayish and legs as bluish dusky-pink or reddish-tinged dull grayish); bulomacha is also very similar in appearance, but has considerably larger bill (supposed paler rosy head side contrasting with pinkish rufous-chestnut crown, and very pale throat, not obvious on museum specimens examined); <em>fulvicauda</em> has pinkish of underparts  very slightly stronger, and reaching farther down towards belly, rufescent brown of nape possibly more chestnut and may extend farther onto upper mantle; <em>mantschurica</em> is noticeably paler overall, with less obvious streaking on head side and throat, weaker pink tinge below.

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Considered conspecific with Brown-winged Parrotbill (Suthora brunnea) and, especially, Ashy-throated Parrotbill (Suthora alphonsiana) by some authors. Where range overlaps with that of latter, the two species are sometimes found in mixed flocks in which occasional hybrids reported; see details under Ashy-throated Parrotbill. Subspecies suffusa poorly marked, perhaps better united with nominate; elisabethae doubtfully distinct from suffusa (exact southwestern geographical limits of which unclear), and the single type was a specimen in full molt (color, which varies considerably with wear, an unsatisfactory character for subspecies diagnosis). Entire Korean population included in subspecies fulvicauda, but those in extreme north possibly belong with mantschurica. Six subspecies currently recognized.

Introduced in Europe (1 Boto, A., Galimberti, A. and Bonser, R. (2009). The parrotbills in Lombardy, Italy. Birding World 22(11): 471–474. Close ) (Lombardy, in northwestern Italy).

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SUBSPECIES

Suthora webbiana suffusa Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Central and southeastern China (southern Gansu, Shaanxi, central and eastern Sichuan, eastern Guizhou and Guangxi east to southern Shanxi, inland southern Jiangsu, western Fujian and Guangdong) and extreme northern Vietnam (northwestern part of eastern Tonkin).

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SUBSPECIES

Suthora webbiana mantschurica Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Extreme southeastern Russia (southern Ussuriland) and northeastern China (eastern Heilongjiang south to northeastern Hebei).

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SUBSPECIES

Suthora webbiana fulvicauda Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Eastern China (western and southern Hebei) and Korea.

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SUBSPECIES

Suthora webbiana webbiana Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Coastal Jiangsu and northern Zhejiang, in eastern China.

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SUBSPECIES

Suthora webbiana elisabethae Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Extreme southern China (southeastern Yunnan) and extreme northern Vietnam (northern part of western Tonkin).

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SUBSPECIES

Suthora webbiana bulomacha Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Taiwan.

• Vinous-throated x Ashy-throated Parrotbill (hybrid) Suthora webbiana x alphonsiana

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Scrub, thickets, secondary growth, forest edges, early successional stages to relatively mature secondary woods, also hedges, bamboo groves, reeds, marshes  , tea plantations, and plant nurseries. In most of Chinese range occurs only to 1,400 m, and mainly below 1,000 m in Sichuan, where replaced at higher levels by Ashy-throated Parrotbill (Suthora alphonsiana); 600–2,000 m in southern and southeastern China. Found at up to 1,500 m in Vietnam . Reaches highest elevations in Taiwan, where recorded to 3,100 m and thought possibly to occupy the widest niche of any bird species.

Some cold-weather movements recorded for subspecies mantschurica in Changbai Mountains, in southeastern Jilin (northeastern China), where said to depart in late September and return in late April; according to some authors, this subspecies roams from September to March/April, and some altitudinal movements also suggested. Vagrant recorded in Japan (western coast of northern Honshu). Has been postulated that high-flying behavior in winter and spring may be linked with eruptive movements by pairs. Post-fledging dispersal of young takes place soon after independence, when they leave natal site with others of species and move to non-breeding range. No definite dispersal pattern noted during Taiwanese studies; even when juveniles moved to join a new flock, it was usually the one adjacent to parental flock.

Feeds mainly on seeds, flowers, fruits and buds; also insects and their eggs, including locusts (Orthoptera) and caterpillars of geometrid moths (Lepidoptera). Insect food constituted only 37% of diet during studies in Taiwan, where individuals were seen to pick at leaves or stems of 40 different plant species. Lives in fast-moving flocks, which change in size according to season, small in April–July, middle-sized in August–September, large in October–January (up to 140 birds in Korea), and middle-sized in February–March; found in pairs from March to August (breeding season). Primarily an understory-dweller, but will ascend to canopy of small trees in search of certain flowers and seeds . In Taiwanese studies, this species spent 85% of its waking time in foraging or feeding.

Song (subspecies fulvicauda) can be transcribed as “rit-rit chididi tssú-tssú-tssíú” or “ri rit ri ri chididi wíí-tssí-tssu” (2–5 soft quick introductory notes, then very rapid “chididi”, and finally loud high, thin stressed notes). Flocks call with subdued rapid chattering, interspersed with occasional thin, high piercing “tsiu-tsiu” or “tiu-tiu” (elisabethae), and chuntering “chrr’rr’rr” and “chur’ir’it” etc.; more scolding calls when agitated, e.g., “wutitit”, and “wutitich’it’it’it’it” (suffusa).

April–August; multi-brooded, often two broods during one season. Monogamous; duties of nest-building, incubation of eggs and rearing of young shared more or less equally by the two sexes. Nest, constructed during period of 1–4 days, a neat and fairly stiff, deep cup-shaped structure (rounded or oblong) made from coarse and fine grasses, strips of rush (Juncaceae) leaves, dry bamboo or other leaves, cutleaf stephanandra (Stephanandra incisa) bark (South Korea), plant fibers, strips of whitish reed skin, dry twigs and fine roots, sometimes wrapped in long soft moss and/or plastered with cobweb where available, lined with fine grass stems, very fine grass blades, coir fiber, hair, feathers and the like (Korean nests apparently never have feathers or mammal hair in lining), the rim often well finished-off and plastered with cobweb; external diameter 6–11 cm, height 6–12 cm, internal diameter 4–6.5 cm, depth 4.1–9 cm, second-brood nests apparently on average smaller (though similar in shape) than first-brood ones; situated 30 cm to 3 m (mostly 40–90 cm) above ground among reeds, small bamboos, nettles (Urtica), climbing plants, or in fork of bush, including tea (Camellia sinensis), or small tree (141 nests in South Korean surveys were built in 28 different plant species, including trees, shrubs, herbs and grasses). Clutch 3–7 eggs (usually 5–6 in South Korea, 4–5 in China and Taiwan), first egg laid on day following nest completion or several days thereafter, eggs smooth and slightly glossed, morphologically variable, azure to turquoise-blue, bluish-white or white, dimensions 15.5–16.7 × 11.7–12.7 mm (elisabethae), 14.2–17 × 11.2–13 mm (suffusa), 16–17.8 × 12.3–13 mm (fulvicauda), 14.9–16.4 × 12.2–12.8 mm (mantschurica), and average 16.5 × 13.2 mm (bulomacha, eggs of which described as slightly darker and much broader than those of other subspecies); apparently, mantschurica and bulomacha lay only blue-type eggs, and blue-green eggs of fulvicauda said to be bigger than white ones and were typically the most common type found during surveys in South Korea (although the ratio varied from site to site); incubation period 13–15 days, typically 14 days; hatching largely synchronous (of 57 broods studied in South Korea, 82.4% hatched completely within 24 hours, 15.8% within 48 hours, 1.8% after 48 hours); chicks leave nest after just 9–10 days, having attained c. 80% of adult body weight but only 60% of adult wing length. Nests commonly parasitized by Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus), e.g., 5.3% of nests at study sites over four seasons in South Korea; cuckoos’ eggs are always of a blue type but larger than those of host, and host rejected more than 60% of cuckoo eggs when laid in blue-egg clutches and 100% when laid in white-egg clutches.

Not globally threatened. Common and very widespread. Has adapted to a variety of semi-natural and man-modified habitats . Away from natural range, small feral populations appear to be establishing themselves in northwestern Italy, having been released from captivity by cagebird-traders: at Palude Brabbia Regional Nature Reserve and Ramsar Site, in Varese (Lombardia), this species occurs in mixed flocks with similarly introduced feral Ashy-throated Parrotbill (Suthora alphonsiana), although latter is much the commoner; also, at least two individuals were trapped during 1990s in Val Campotto-Vallesanta Nature Reserve, on the Italian Adriatic coast.