Silver-eared Mesia Leiothrix argentauris Scientific name definitions

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Silver-eared Mesia (Silver-eared)

15·5–17 cm; 22–29 g. Smallish babbler in bright, neat colours , black on head with glistening silver ear-coverts, yellow breast, and red wing patch and tail base. Male nominate race has clear-cut jet-black crown to lores, forecheek and upper submoustachial area, with orange-yellow patch on forehead above bill base, broadly fanned glistening silvery ear-coverts, dull orange-grey nuchal collar joining (around neck-side) with bright yellow-orange chin to breast, and shading to grey on upperparts; upperwing with reddish patch at base of flight-feathers, latter fringed orange-yellow; black tail with narrow yellow margins on outer webs, orange-reddish uppertail-coverts; duller yellowish-olive lower underparts; iris brown to crimson; bill orange-yellow; legs yellowish flesh. Female has duller, paler forehead patch, throat and breast, dull golden-olive nuchal collar and uppertail-coverts, less yellow central underparts, pale yellowish-rufous undertail-coverts, paler and duller reddish wing patch and yellow wing fringing. Juvenile is like respective adult, but black of head duller, rest of body colours more washed out. Race <em>galbana</em> has greener upperparts than nominate, paler nuchal collar and underparts; ricketti has orange-red throat and upper breast, slightly darker underparts; cunhaci has much larger yellow forehead patch; <em>tahanensis</em> has peachier-toned breast and throat , whiter lower underparts with greyer flanks, slightly paler reddish wing patch.

Silver-eared Mesia (Sumatran)

15–17 cm. Small, distinctive babbler . Male nominate race has small orange-tinged yellow patch on centre of lower forehead above bill base, jet-black crown to lores, forecheek and upper submoustachial area, broadly fanned glistening silvery ear-coverts; dull coppery-reddish nuchal collar and upper mantle, this colour extending around neck-side to chin, throat and breast, and shading to greyish olive on lower mantle, back and wing-coverts; coppery-red patch at base of flight-feathers, which are otherwise blackish with orange and yellow fringes; uppertail-coverts coppery red, tail blackish, outer rectrices with orange edges on outer webs; lower breast to belly dull brownish orange, undertail-coverts rich coppery red; iris pale yellow; bill dark orange; legs orange. Female resembles male, but not so bright and plumage pattern not quite so “neat-looking”. Juvenile is duller than adult, has less contrasting head pattern, and has dark eyes. Race <em>rookmakeri</em> is greener overall than nominate, exhibits sharper demarcation between red nuchal collar and olive mantle, and has darker eyes.

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Silver-eared Mesia (Silver-eared)

Hitherto treated as conspecific with L. laurinae (which see). Described races vernayi (NW Assam, N Myanmar and W Yunnan) and aureigularis (S Assam, W Myanmar) provisionally included in nominate. Five subspecies recognized.

Silver-eared Mesia (Sumatran)

Silver-eared Mesia (Silver-eared)

Introduced in Hong Kong.

Silver-eared Mesia (Sumatran)

Introduced in Hong Kong.

Silver-eared Mesia (Silver-eared)

Silver-eared Mesia (Sumatran)

Silver-eared Mesia (Silver-eared)

Silver-eared Mesia (Sumatran)

Silver-eared Mesia (Silver-eared)

Insects and their larvae , including ants (Formicidae); also berries, fruits and seeds, including those of cultivated maize (Zea). After breeding season forms parties of 5–30 or more individuals, often associating with bird waves (even during breeding season), which typically include other babblers. Usually keeps to bushes in more open forest, but sometimes ascends quite high, 4–5 m, in canopy. Occasionally makes flycatching sallies after escaping insects.

Silver-eared Mesia (Sumatran)

Very few data on natural population in Sumatra ; presumably feeds on insects and their larvae and on fruits. In study of introduced Hong Kong population, in Aug–May, 87% of 30 faecal samples contained insects and 97% fruit (at least 14 plant taxa utilized). After breeding season forms small parties (fewer than ten individuals), often associating with bird waves, which typically include other babblers. Usually keeps to bushes in more open forest.

Silver-eared Mesia (Silver-eared)

Song a repeated, cheerful, loud, clearly spaced, descending “che tchu-tchu che-rit” or “che chu chiwi chwu”; described also as “tiweeet, túuwééét-tíréét-tíréét-túúwéééer” (most notes with upslurred end, and tightly constructed, with distinct breaks between them). Calls include flat piping “pe-pe-pe-pe-pe” (sometimes used to accompany song; perhaps by female) and harsh chattering notes.

Silver-eared Mesia (Sumatran)

Very limited information. Song apparently a single downslurred whistle (highest in pitch, reaching about 3–3·2 kHz) followed by three more complex whistles, the last whistle reaching lowest pitch (down to 1150–1250 Hz) though with slight variations; transcribed as “tiweet, tuweet-tureet-tuwiu” (2 Eaton, J. A., B. van Balen, N. W. Brickle, and F. E. Rheindt (2016). Birds of the Indonesian Archipelago: Greater Sundas and Wallacea. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Close ). Harsh chattering calls.

Silver-eared Mesia (Silver-eared)

Season Nov–Aug (from Apr in N areas); song in Bhutan Apr–Aug, with peak late Apr. Nest, built by both sexes over c. 4 days, a deep, substantial cup made from dead bamboo or other leaves, grass, moss, bracken and roots (including those of epiphytic plants), lined with rootlets or fern/palm fibres, placed from just above ground to up to 2 m above it in bush, slung from fine stems of small vines among branches of bushes or in bracken; said to be indistinguishable in size, structure and situation from that of L. lutea. Clutch 2–5 eggs (usually four in India, 2–3 in Peninsular Malaysia), white, lightly spotted with rich madder-brown (or identical to those of L. lutea); incubation, by both parents (female at night in captivity), from first egg, period 13–14 days; nestlings provisioned by both parents; in captivity, nestling period c. 12 days and post-fledging dependence c. 22 days.

Silver-eared Mesia (Sumatran)

Silver-eared Mesia (Silver-eared)

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). CITES II. Generally common in suitable habitat. Local in Nepal, rare in W to frequent in E. In Bhutan common but rather scattered throughout foothills and C & E valleys; near Zhemgang, density of 2·1 territories/km of road at 1600 m; present in Thrumshingla National Park. Formerly resident in Bangladesh, but no recent records. In India, fairly common E from Sikkim, rare in Dehra Dun valley (Uttaranchal); present in Buxa Tiger Reserve (West Bengal), where 15·9 birds/km² in semi-evergreen forest; present in (at least) Nameri National Park (Assam), and in Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary and Namdapha and Mouling National Parks (all Arunachal Pradesh). Common in China, although uncommon in Shiwandashan National Nature Reserve (Guangxi). Common in SE Asian range. In Laos, common in Dong Hua Sao National Biodiversity Conservation Area (NBCA) and in parts of Nakai-Nam Theun NBCA, and present in Phou Dendin NBCA. In Vietnam, common in Tam Dao National Park and present in Ba Be National Park and Na Hang Nature Reserve, and in Thuong Da Nhim and Chu Yang Sin Nature Reserves (Da Lat Plateau), in S Annam; also in Pu Mat Nature Reserve. It is suspected that this species’ population is in slow decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction and fragmentation.

Silver-eared Mesia (Sumatran)

ENDANGERED. Rare. This newly split species, confined to montane evergreen forest on Sumatra, has suffered a very rapid decline across most of its range, presumably as a consequence of trapping for the cagebird trade. It is now absent from many sites at which it was, until recently, one of the commonest bird species; for example, the nominate race of S & C Sumatra was previously described as generally common and one of the most frequently encountered birds on Gunung Kerinci, but since then none has been reported from that site and there have been very few records of this subspecies from anywhere in its range (3 Eaton, J. A., C. R. Shepherd, F. E. Rheindt, J. B. C. Harris, S. (B.) van Balen, D. S. Wilcove, and N. J. Collar (2015). Trade-driven extinctions and near-extinctions of avian taxa in Sundaic Indonesia. Forktail 31:1–12. Close ). Race rookmakeri appears still to be present in reasonable numbers in montane forest in Aceh, where it is present in Gunung Leuser National Park, but this race, too, is infrequently seen and it lives in areas with significant trapping activity. Trapping of this species for the domestic cagebird trade has taken place at a rate that appears to have caused local extinctions across a large proportion of its range. Numbers observed at bird markets in Java have decreased since the mid-2010s, with the nominate race being apparently completely absent, despite trapping activity remaining high and other montane birds from Sumatra being well represented (3 Eaton, J. A., C. R. Shepherd, F. E. Rheindt, J. B. C. Harris, S. (B.) van Balen, D. S. Wilcove, and N. J. Collar (2015). Trade-driven extinctions and near-extinctions of avian taxa in Sundaic Indonesia. Forktail 31:1–12. Close ). Conservation actions already in place include regular monitoring and assessment of price information in markets in Medan, in NE Sumatra. Surveys at selected sites are required throughout the species’ range; in addition, enforcement of the national law and prosecution of illegal trappers and sellers of birds are of vital importance. Campaigns and programmes aimed at making the local human inhabitants aware of the globally threatened nature of this mesia, and of the fact that its natural range is restricted to the island of Sumatra, are considered essential. Locally common where population of captive origin. A population of this species living in the wild in Hong Kong is derived from escaped cagebirds.