Rufous-headed Parrotbill Paradoxornis bakeri
Etymology:
- Paradoxornis: Greek word paradoxos -: extraordinary; Ornis -: bird
- Bakeri : Edward Charles Stuart Baker (1864-1944) British ornithologist
Distribution : Resident of Southeastern Arunachal Pradesh, northeastern Indian states south of Brahmaputra River.
Description : It has a size of 19–19.5 cm; weight of male 35–38 g, female 33–36 g.
It is large parrotbill with relatively long bill. The adult has entire head to hindneck deep bright rufous ,slightly buffier on lores, with narrow area of dull bluish bare skin on lores and patch behind eye.
The upperparts, including upperwing coverts are olive-brown. The flight feathers and tertials are blackish brown with cream-buff inner fringes, outer fringes are similar in colour to upperparts but with outer margins slightly warmer. The uppertail is dark brown, outer rectrices have warmer brown outer edges. The throat and entire underparts are warm buff , paler on throat center. The iris is brown, orbital skin and eyelids are slate-blue to blue. The maxilla is dark brownish to blackish horn or horn-brown, mandible is greyish, mouth slate-blue to bluish. The legs are dark slate-blue to grey. Both the sexes are alike.
The juvenile resembles adult, but head is paler and upperparts washed rusty.
Habitat: It is found in bamboo in or near broadleaf evergreen forest, forest edge; also tall grass and along riverbanks. It occurs at 500–1,930 m in its range.
Food habits: It eats Insects, small beetles , seeds and berries. It clambers among small twigs and branches, often hanging upside down. It forages in pairs or in small parties of 4–6 individuals; often associates with other species, particularly the White-hooded Babbler (Gampsorhynchus rufulus)and Collared Babbler (Gampsorhynchus torquatus), in bird waves.
Breeding habits: They breed in April–October in India. The nest is a very neat, deep cup made from various grasses and some spider web, lined with fibrous threads of bamboo stems and other finer material. The nest is placed above ground and fastened to spray of bamboo or placed in sapling or among reeds. They lay a clutch of 2–4 eggs. The young are fed by both sexes.