Manipur Fulvetta  Fulvetta manipurensis

Etymology:

• Fulvetta: Latin word derived from fulvus – tawny, yellowish-brown.
• Manipurensis : From Manipur in India

Distribution in India: Resident of hills of North East India.

Description: Size of 11–13 cm; Wt. of 8–14 g. The nominate race has pinkish milky brown crown, mantle and back, soft-edged but broad lateral crown stripes becoming vague broad smudge on nape; lower back and rump are pale rufous; tail is milky brown, upperwing is similar but with pale rufous fringes and with narrow greyish-white wing panel that is below dark brown one. The face, lores, area round eye, cheek and ear-coverts are very pale grey-tinged buff. The chin to upper breast is whitish with warm pale brown stippling. The shading on lower breast is pale pinkish grey-brown, with rich pale rufous flanks and lower belly; iris is pale yellowish to brownish; bill is brown; legs are dark brown to brownish.

Habitat: It is found in broadleaf evergreen forest, forest edge, bamboo and scrub. It is found from 1400 m–2800 m.

Food habits: It eats small insects and their eggs, caterpillars, tiny snails, some vegetable matter. It is found in small parties outside breeding season, often associating with mixed flocks which may contain other small babblers. It forages quite close to, on ground and also ascends in trees.

Breeding habits: They breed in Apr in India. The nest is a well-built, strongly woven, small cup made of leaf skeletons, bamboo and other leaves, and grasses, bound with moss, lined with tendrils or soft shiny black fibres, placed in fork of low bush or dwarf bamboo. They lay a clutch of 3–5 eggs.