Greater Rufous-headed Parrotbill (White-bellied Parrotbill) Paradoxorni ruficeps
Etymology:
- Paradoxornis: Greek word paradoxos-: extraordinary; Ornis -: bird
- Ruficeps : Latin word Rufi – Red, Rufous; Ceps- Head
Distribution : Resident of North East India (Sikkim and North West Bengal East to East Arunachal Pradesh at Mishmi Hills)
Description : It has a size of 19–19·5 cm; weight of male 30–32 g, female 32–34 g.
It is a large parrotbill with relatively long bill. The adult has deep bright rufous crown to nape and head side, buffier on lores. It has dull bluish facial skin, narrow area on lores and patch behind eye. The upperparts, including upperwing-coverts are warm olive-brown.
The flight-feathers and tertials are blackish brown with cream-buff inner fringes, outer fringes similar in colour to upperparts, with outer margins slightly warmer; uppertail is dark brown.
The throat and upper breast are whitish, lower breast and breast side to vent are buffish cream. The iris is brown to reddish brown, orbital skin and eyelids are slate-blue to blue. The maxilla is horn-brown, mandible is fleshy brown, mouth is slate-blue to bluish. The legs are dark slate-blue to bluish grey or grey.
Both the sexes are alike
It is distinguished from very similar Pale-billed Parrotbill (Suthora atrosuperciliaris) mainly by larger size and rounder-headed appearance, with larger and relatively longer bill, slightly drabber and less rufescent upperparts, more cream-buff inner fringes on flight-feathers and tertials, also head-sides concolorous with crown, no black eyebrow, duller bluish facial skin, mostly dark brown maxilla.
The juvenile is like adult but paler on head and cheeks, has upperparts, wings and tail washed rusty brown, first primary more rounded, tail feathers narrower.
Habitat: It is found in bamboo in or near broadleaf evergreen forest, forest edge, dense thickets of reeds and mixed grasses along riverbanks, reedbeds, elephant grass. It occurs at 500–2800 m throughout range.
Food habits: It eats feeds on insects, small beetles & seeds and berries. It clambers around small twigs and branches and often hangs upside-down. It is found in pairs or in small parties of 4–6 individuals; often associates with other species, particularly White-hooded Babblers (Gampsorhynchus rufulus), in bird waves. The male is highly territorial.
Breeding habits: They breed in Apr–Oct in India. The nest is a neat and compact deep cup made of strips of grass stems and a few cobwebs, lined with fine fibrous threads of bamboo stems, fine grasses, placed above ground and fastened to spray of bamboo or placed in sapling or among reeds. They lay a clutch of 2–4 eggs.
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