Taiwan Barwing Actinodura morrisoniana Scientific name definitions

18–19 cm; mean 32 g. Typical short-tailed barwing with chestnut hood , white-streaked gray breast and buff-and-rufous belly streaking. Crown and head side (lores, ear-coverts, submoustachial area) are chestnut, with dull rufous eyering, upperparts ochrous-gray, soft whitish streaks on nape and mantle becoming buffy-tan streaks on back, weakening and mingling on rump; greater coverts plain brown, primary coverts black with grayish tips, flight-feathers densely barred with black and rufous to buffish, grayer-brown on tertials; tail rufous basally, with increasingly dense black bars on buff-gray ground, and narrow white tips; chin and throat rufous with soft buff-tan streaks, breast pale olive-gray with long soft-edged whitish streaks, belly olive-tinged rufous with long vague buff-tan streaking, mingling plainer on thighs and vent; iris dark grayish to brownish; bill dark gray to blackish or brownish-black; pinkish to pinkish-slate. Sexes similar. Juvenile apparently undescribed.

Mostly arthropods such as beetle larvae (Coleoptera), other insects and their larvae; also berries and seeds; berries of honeysuckle (Lonicera) seen taken. Found singly, in pairs or in small parties, often in company of Heterophasia auricularis, as well as Yuhina brunneiceps and Liocichla steerii. Forages in canopy and middle storey of forest, but also down to understorey. Creeps among epiphytic growths and along branches, rummages among dead leaves, probes moss and pulls apart lichen in search of food, craning around branches and clinging to their undersides. Beetle larvae obtained by probing bark of trunks and branches.

Song a loud clear “whit chiwwii” or “whit tchiyiwi” (the “whit” a short, quick introductory note, and the main part of song quavering somewhat and increasing in volume through latter half), repeated monotonously every 4–6 seconds. Rapid, slightly quavering “chiririririt” or “jiririririr”, and “chiririririt chru” or “chiririririt chrt”, along with occasional short, clear “hiew”, “hiu”, “huu” or “juu”, becoming “jia jia jia” when alarmed. Low contact notes include short “wut” notes, “wut-chk” and similar, and slightly rising “hwee” or “hwir”.