Grey-bellied Tesia       Tesia cyaniventer

Etymology: 

• Tesia : Nepalese name Tisi for Tesia

• Cyaniventer : Latin word cyaneus – dark-blue ; venter – belly 

Vernacular Names : Lepcha: Samtit-tammong, Naga: Ting-linrui bermai-ga, Nepal: Tisi

Distribution :  Nominate – Resident of Eastern himalays and Winters in North Eastern Hills of India 

Description: It has a size of 9–10 cm; weight of  8–12 g.

It is a small, upright and tailless, ground-dwelling warbler. It has bright olive-green upperparts, slightly paler crown, light green supercilium, broad black eyestripe. It is pale grey below, almost whitish on throat and centre of belly. The iris is dark; bill is dark, basal two-thirds of lower mandible is yellow; legs are olive-brown to flesh-pink. Both the sexes are alike.

The juvenile is dull olive-tinged warm brown above, supercilium and eyestripe duller than adult, drab olive below, paler or greyer on centre of throat and belly

Habitat: It is found in dense undergrowth of broadleaf forest, principally in ferns, nettles, dwarf bamboo in moist valleys, wet ravines or near streams. It is found between 1500 m and 2550 m, mostly above 1800 m. In non-breeding season occurs in broadleaf and secondary forest at lower altitudes, down to 60 m.

Food habits:  It eats small invertebrates, ants and spiders. It is very active and appears to be ceaselessly on the move. It forages on ground and in vegetation. In non-breeding season it joins mixed-species foraging flocks.

Breeding habits: They breed in May–Jul. The nest a ball mostly of moss, placed low down, in bush, creeper or moss on side of tree. They lay a clutch 3–5 eggs.