Brown-rumped Minivet Pericrocotus cantonensis Scientific name definitions

18–19 cm. Male has black lores, charcoal-grey region from mid-crown and rear of eye across ear-coverts to hindcrown and nape; forecrown and rest of head side white, including narrow projection at side of neck; mantle to back , and lesser and median upperwing-coverts, grey; rump and uppertail-coverts clay-buff; greater coverts, primary-coverts and remiges blackish, white (usually tinged yellowish-buff) spot on inner webs of primaries P7–P1 and extending on to both webs of secondaries (visible in flight, usually not on folded wing); rectrices dark brown, outer five feathers with increasing amounts of white from tip inwards; white below , tinged vinous and washed ashy grey on breast and flanks; underwing-coverts greyish white; hybrid (“stanfordi”) has pale pink forecrown, often pinkish on outer rectrices and wing markings, reddish tinge on rump, pink tinge on underparts; iris dark brown; bill and legs black. Distinguished from similar P. divaricatus by grey (not black) on rear of head, white of forehead more extensive (to behind eye), brown-tinged upperparts with brownish rump, usually less visible wing patch, vinous-brown wash below. Female differs from male in having dark grey of head and nape replaced with paler grey, upper forehead and forecrown also grey, wing flash larger, including narrow white edges of tertials and inner secondaries, and spot extending to outer webs of P1–P5 (yellowish patch on closed wing), entirely off-white underparts; hybrid (“stanfordi”) has yellow wing markings, yellow in tail, yellow tinge on uppertail-coverts. Juvenile undescribed; immature like female, but top of head more uniform grey, rump and uppertail-coverts tipped grey-white and barred darker, tertials and inner secondaries broadly tipped and edged white, outer secondaries edged white, throat side, half-collar, breast and flanks faintly barred grey.

• Brown-rumped x Rosy Minivet (hybrid) Pericrocotus cantonensis x roseus

C, S & SE China from SE Gansu and S Shaanxi E to S Jiangsu, S to S Guizhou, Guangxi, Guangdong and Fujian; non-breeding to S China (Yunnan), S Myanmar (Tenasserim), Thailand (S to Trang, including Phuket I), Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Migratory; spends winter months S & W of breeding range. Recorded on passage in S & SE China, and Cambodia. Present in peninsular Thailand mid-Dec to late Mar. Several sight records from NE Bangladesh require confirmation. Recorded in Odisha District, W India, in Feb 2016 (1 Rajuguru, S. and Ukil, P.M. (2016). Sighting of Swinhoe's Minivet Pericrocotus cantonensis at Berbera, Odisha. Indian Birds. 11(4): 102–103. Close ).

Details of diet not documented; probably similar to P. roseus. Forages in canopy ; often in cohesive parties in winter.

Inadequately described; metallic trill , flight call similar to that of P. divaricatus.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Formerly considered Near Threatened. Not well known; apparently locally common in S China. Uncommon in non-breeding range in SE Asia; locally uncommon to sparse in S Thailand, where regarded as bordering on “Near Threatened” because of loss of possible forest habitat.