Black-headed Greenfinch Chloris ambigua Scientific name definitions

12·5–14 cm. Medium-sized, dark-headed finch with pale conical bill , bright yellow wing-flash and notched tail. Male nominate race has forehead to hindcrown, lores, cheek and ear-coverts blackish-olive, some­times a narrow, indistinct paler supercilium; nape to mantle and scapulars dull olive-green, becoming paler or brighter on lower back; rump olive-green with yellow bases, uppertail-coverts greyer; tail black, outer feathers edged bright yellow (forming short panel at side of base), central feathers narrowly edged pale grey; lesser and median upperwing-coverts as scapulars or paler yellowish-green, greater coverts black or blackish, edged olive-green on outers and broadly tipped pale grey; alula black, finely edged pale yellow, primary coverts and flight-feathers black, bases of primaries and outer secondaries bright yellow (in flight , broad wingbar across base of remiges), outer secondaries and inner primaries finely tipped off-white, tertials black, broadly fringed grey or greyish-white; deep green or olive-green below, obscurely spotted or streaked yellow, uniformly yellow on undertail-coverts; underwing-coverts pale yellow; iris black; bill pale pinkish to brownish-pink, slightly darker tip; legs pinkish or pale brown. Female is very similar to male, but duller, head not so black (nor so well defined), deep olive with darker flecking, dull olive below , flanks pale buffish-brown. Juvenile has pale buffish-yellow forehead to nape, mostly buff-brown face finely streaked darker on cheek and ear-coverts, upperparts pale buff-brown, streaked darker, slightly paler brown on rump and uppertail-coverts, median and greater upperwing-coverts dark brown, tipped pale buffish-brown (more broadly on greater coverts), flight-feathers as for adult, underparts pale buff-yellow, streaked dark brown or blackish, lower belly unstreaked whitish and undertail-coverts pale yellow. Race taylori is more sooty black on head and duller olive-green with brown tinge on mantle and back, rump green or pale green with yellowish feather bases, yellow below, becoming pale green on undertail-coverts, female like nominate, but may have pale buff or buffish-grey undertail-coverts.

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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.

Montane and submontane open conifer and deciduous woodlands and forest, also forest edges, clearings, alpine meadows and scrub on open hillsides and edges of cultivation, at 1200–3100 m; in non-breeding season in similar habitat at slightly lower altitude, down to 1300 m in NE India.

Resident and partial migrant. Those breeding at high altitudes move to lower levels within range; occasional or scarce winter visitor (in some years in large flocks) to NW Thailand above 1200 m. Vagrant in Hong Kong.

Mostly a variety of seeds. Forages in bushes, in low vegetation and on ground. In pairs and in small family groups; in non-breeding season often in large flocks of more than 100 individuals, foraging in winter stubble and weedy fields.

Song a long, drawn-out wheezing "wheeeeeeuu, wheeeeeeuu", repeated at regular intervals, and including more metallic notes and higher-pitched trills together with a dry, harsh or sharp "screee" or "treeee-tertrah". Calls include short, thin, high-pitched metallic twitter, "titutu, titu-titu tittritititit", often interspersed with harsher "chutut" or "chut-ut-ut" notes, frequently given in flight and often repeated; also a softer upslurred "chu-chu" and a rising and wheezy "jieuu", "twzyee" or "tzyeee".

Little known. Season Jul–Oct. Nest a neat cup placed on tree branch, usually in pine (Pinus). Clutch 3–4 eggs, pale greenish-blue, spotted sparingly with black. No further information.

Not globally threatened. Locally common in most of range; scarce in N Laos. Status in NE India uncertain; presumed to be a non-breeding visitor from adjacent higher areas of China, but possibly a breeding resident; more fieldwork required.