Gold-fronted Fulvetta Schoeniparus variegaticeps Scientific name definitions

10–11·5 cm. Tiny greyish babbler with yellow-fronted chestnut crown, white face with bold vertical subocular bar, and black and yellow wingpanels. Forehead is bright yellow, mid-crown to nape dull chestnut with narrow whitish shaft streaks, shading rustier on nape; upperparts olive-grey, upper­wing and tail darker, plainer grey, but greater and primary wing-coverts black, carpal area white, fringes of flight-feathers yellow but black fringes of inner primaries (forming large wing flash with inner black panel); eyering (except for black frontal border), broad postocular supercilium, ear-coverts and nape side greyish-white, vertical semi-rectangular black patch under eyering; chin yellow, throat and central underparts yellow-tinged greyish-white, breast side and flanks pale olive-tinged grey; iris colour undocumented, apparently brown (photos); bill horn-brown, lower mandible paler; legs yellowish-pink. Sexes similar. Juvenile apparently undescribed.

SC & S Sichuan and, disjunctly, Dayao Shan in EC Guangxi, in S China.

Broadleaf evergreen and mixed deciduous and pine forest; stream valleys with moss-covered trees, usually with extensive bamboo cover; at 650–2000 m.

Resident.

Insects, spiders. Found in pairs. Forages in undergrowth and bamboo; searches among moss while clinging to trunks, etc. Feeding behaviour similar to that of S. castaneceps and S. klossi.

Song unreported. Calls include noisy chattering alarm, and a single call note.

Apr–Jul. One nest reported, said to be similar to that of S. castaneceps; contained 4 eggs. No other information.

VULNERABLE. Restricted-range species: present in Chinese Subtropical Forests EBA. Locally common within very small range. Present in Dayaoshan National Nature Reserve, in Guangxi, where 20 individuals seen in one day; occurs also in Emei Shan Protected Scenic Area, Mabian Dafengding Nature Reserve and Labahe Nature Reserve, all in Sichuan.