Family Old World Warblers and Parrotbills (Sylviidae)
Least Concern
Black-throated Parrotbill (Suthora nipalensis)
Taxonomy
French: Paradoxornis à menton noir German: Grauohr-Papageimeise Spanish: Picoloro gorjinegro
Taxonomy:
[Parus] Suthora Nipalensis
Hodgson
, 1837,Kathmandu Valley, Nepal
.
Subspecies and Distribution
S. n. garhwalensis
(R. L. Fleming & Traylor, 1964) – Uttarakhand (NE Garhwal and Almora), in N India.
S. n. nipalensis
Hodgson, 1837 – Black-throated Parrotbill – W & C Nepal.
S. n. humii
Sharpe, 1883 – Orange-eared Parrotbill – E Nepal E to C Bhutan (E to Zhemgang).
S. n. crocotia
Kinnear, 1954 – E Bhutan (Yonpu La, Deothang) and adjacent NE India (Shakti, in extreme W Arunachal Pradesh).
S. n. poliotis
Blyth, 1851 – Grey-breasted Parrotbill – Arunachal Pradesh (E from R Dihang, at least) S in NE India to N Manipur, S Assam (Cachar) and Khasi Hills, E to W & N Myanmar and S China (NW Yunnan).
S. n. feae
Salvadori, 1889 – E & S Myanmar and W & NW Thailand.
S. n. patriciae
Koelz, 1954 – Mizoram, in NE India.
S. n. ripponi
Sharpe, 1905 – Buff-breasted Parrotbill – W Myanmar on Mt Victoria (Chin Hills).
S. n. beaulieui
(Ripley, 1953) – Black-eared Parrotbill – NE Thailand (Phu Luang), N & C Laos and Vietnam (N Annam).
S. n. kamoli
(J. C. Eames, 2002) – C Vietnam (Ngoc Linh, in C Annam) and E part of S Laos.
Descriptive notes
11·5 cm; 5–6·5 g (poliotis), male 6–7 g and female 5·5 g (humii). Nominate race has brownish mid-grey crown and nape,... read more
Voice
Sings with strange, extended, high, wheezy, buzzy, nasal notes, “chu’írrr-d... read more
Habitat
Bamboo and undergrowth in broadleaf evergreen, oak (Quercus), rhododendron (... read more
Food and feeding
Small insects, bits of bamboo, bamboo buds, and grass seeds etc.; seen to feed on seeds of autumn-olive (Elaeagnus umbellata var.... read more
Breeding
Mar–Jul. Nest (of race poliotis) described as a tiny, neat and compact cup-shaped structure made of bamboo leaves and fine... read more
Movements
Largely sedentary; some minor local altitudinal movements brought on by cold weather.
Status and conservation
Not globally threatened. Common to locally common, and widespread. Generally commoner in Himalayan part of its range than it is farther E.
Has in the past been considered conspecific with S. verreauxi, but is very distinct morphologically; race craddocki of that species has erroneously been listed for present species by some authors. Races distinctive, forming five groups: “nipalensis group”, “humii group”, “poliotis group”, “ripponi group” and “beaulieui group”; race crocotia here placed with humii group, but perhaps a semi-stable hybrid population. These groups treated as species by some authors#R and genetic evidence tends to support such an arrangement#R, but full presentation and evaluation of diagnostic (including vocal) characters lacking. Proposed race daflaensis (from Dafla Hills, in NE India) currently synonymized with poliotis, but specimens appear to show signs of intergradation towards latter, rather than being identical with it; further study required. Birds observed in NE Thailand (Phu Lang) and S Laos of uncertain racial identity; presumed to belong with, respectively, beaulieui and kamoli, but corroboration needed. Also, claimed sightings of race beaulieui at Ngoc Linh Kon Tum (within range of kamoli) merit investigation. Ten subspecies currently recognized.