Bornean Bristlehead Pityriasis gymnocephala Scientific name definitions

22–26 cm; 115–150 g. Heavy-bodied passerine with massive hooked bill  and short tail  , giving top-heavy appearance, and long powerful wings. Male has unfeathered top of head bright yellow to orange with short outgrowths of skin, broad area of bare skin  around eye pink-red, ear-coverts  bristle-like and charcoal-grey, with remainder of face , neck  and thighs bright red; most of body black , breast feathers and scapulars charcoal-grey with black edges (giving scaled appearance), sometimes some red in flank feathers; white wing patch resembling that of Common Hill Myna (Gracula religiosa), visible in flight; iris dark reddish-brown; bill black ; legs pink to yellowish-pink. Female is like male, except that flank feathers always red (male variable in this characteristic). Juvenile, on fledging, is distinguished from adult by having head and neck more orange-red, ear-coverts red, rather than grey, ear and breast contour feathers not modified into bristles, breast and flanks mottled red and black, reduced amount of red on thighs, red eyering and greyish legs; subsequently, has black thighs, red ear-coverts, hindneck spotted with black, a few red feathers on bald head.

Borneo.

Forest  . Often said to favour peatswamp-forest, but is probably most commonly associated with primary dipterocarp forest, and found also in various other forest types, including disturbed dipterocarp forest, upland heath forest (kerangas forest), montane coniferous forest, coastal swamp-forest, and mangrove; also Acacia mangium plantations (both adjacent to and far from primary forest). Lowlands to 600 m, locally to 1000 m.

Major food items include katydids (Tettigoniidae), cicadas (Cicadoidea), stick-insects (Phasmida), beetles (Coleoptera), caterpillars (Lepidoptera), cockroaches (Blattodea), termites (Isoptera) and spiders (Araneae); small reptiles and amphibians sometimes taken; small fruits occasionally consumed. Forages in canopy and subcanopy, sometimes also in emergent trees. Most food taken by gleaning, sometimes by sally-gleaning; will also pounce on prey at short distance. Forages in flocks of up to ten or so individuals; often with mixed-species flocks.

Calls frequently, with variety of snorts and whistles. Unobtrusive nasal, whining contact call given regularly by flock-members; single loud whistle, repeated by each flock-member, also for contact; "pit-pit-peeoo", interspersed with corvid-like chatter, commonly uttered. Also, a distinctive vocalization consisting of a long high-pitched note followed by a low even note of similar length, then rapid 5-note staccato, and short trailing note.

Few data. Season apparently May–Oct, perhaps depending on rainfall and food availability. Possibly a co-operative breeder, several adults helping with nest-building and offspring care. Nest not described. No information on clutch size; one egg described as white, sparingly marked all over with bright brown and slaty-grey spots of various sizes, majority forming irregular ring at larger end, dimensions 31 mm x 25 mm. No other information.

Not globally threatened. Currently considered Near-threatened. Uncommon, and not often observed; population size and precise habitat requirements not known. Thought likely to be declining as a result of loss and degradation of forest throughout much of Borneo; habitat loss continuing, and fires also cause serious damage to habitat. Rates of forest loss in lowlands have increased, especially in Kalimantan, where illegal logging and land conversion now major threats, even in protected areas. This species is tolerant of logged forest, secondary forest and hill forest, but research required to determine its full habitat requirements; although extensive forest disturbance in Borneo likely to prove detrimental, its occurrence in a wide variety of habitats suggests some resilience. Occurs in several protected areas .