Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher
Encyclopedia
The Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher, Culicicapa ceylonensis, is a small passerine
bird
. Formerly considered part of the Old World flycatcher
assemblage and placed in the family
Muscicapidae, it is now considered part of the Stenostiridae
. These are flycatchers closely related to titmice and chickadees (Paridae)
The Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher is 13 cm long. It is a long-tailed flycatcher-like bird with an upright stance. The adult has a grey head and breast, green upperparts and bright yellow underparts.
This species which breeds in upland to montane
oak
(Quercus) and other broadleaved forests and similar wooded areas in temperate
to tropical southern Asia
, from Pakistan
, Central India and Sri Lanka
east to Indonesia
and southern China
. Many populations are resident, but Himalayan
birds are short-distance altitudinal
migrant
s. In Bhutan
for example, the species is not uncommon all year round, and can be found up to and above 2,000 meters ASL
. Birds from high montane forest stay at lower altitudes for the winter, during which time the species is decidedly common in Bhutan. They are also found as winter migrants in the Western Ghats
and parts of southern India.
The Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher is an insectivore
, which in its acrobatic, inquisitive hunt for prey reminds of its relatives in the Paridae. It breeds. The nest is built on a rock ledge or in a tree trunk, and the clutch
is three or four eggs. A juvenile of the Chinese
subspecies
calochrysea was collected at Mouping in today's Baoxing County
in Sichuan
in early September.
Not uncommon and found across a wide range, this bird is not considered threatened by the IUCN.
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
. Formerly considered part of the Old World flycatcher
Old World flycatcher
The Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae is a large family of small passerine birds mostly restricted to the Old World. These are mainly small arboreal insectivores, many of which, as the name implies, take their prey on the wing.-Characteristics:...
assemblage and placed in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Muscicapidae, it is now considered part of the Stenostiridae
Stenostiridae
Stenostiridae, or the Fairy Flycatchers, is a family of small passerine birds proposed as a result of recent discoveries in molecular systematics . They are commonly referred to as stenostirid warblers....
. These are flycatchers closely related to titmice and chickadees (Paridae)
The Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher is 13 cm long. It is a long-tailed flycatcher-like bird with an upright stance. The adult has a grey head and breast, green upperparts and bright yellow underparts.
This species which breeds in upland to montane
Montane
In biogeography, montane is the highland area located below the subalpine zone. Montane regions generally have cooler temperatures and often have higher rainfall than the adjacent lowland regions, and are frequently home to distinct communities of plants and animals.The term "montane" means "of the...
oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
(Quercus) and other broadleaved forests and similar wooded areas in temperate
Temperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
to tropical southern Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, from Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, Central India and Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
east to Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and southern China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Many populations are resident, but Himalayan
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
birds are short-distance altitudinal
Altitude
Altitude or height is defined based on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The reference datum also often varies according to the context...
migrant
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
s. In Bhutan
Bhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
for example, the species is not uncommon all year round, and can be found up to and above 2,000 meters ASL
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
. Birds from high montane forest stay at lower altitudes for the winter, during which time the species is decidedly common in Bhutan. They are also found as winter migrants in the Western Ghats
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
and parts of southern India.
The Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher is an insectivore
Insectivore
An insectivore is a type of carnivore with a diet that consists chiefly of insects and similar small creatures. An alternate term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of eating insects....
, which in its acrobatic, inquisitive hunt for prey reminds of its relatives in the Paridae. It breeds. The nest is built on a rock ledge or in a tree trunk, and the clutch
Clutch (eggs)
A clutch of eggs refers to all the eggs produced by birds or reptiles, often at a single time, particularly those laid in a nest.In birds, destruction of a clutch by predators, , results in double-clutching...
is three or four eggs. A juvenile of the Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
calochrysea was collected at Mouping in today's Baoxing County
Baoxing County
Baoxing County is one of the seven counties under the administration of Ya'an city, Sichuan Province, China. It is a vital geopolitical crossroad, transportation hub, and most importantly, a biodiversity hotspot and type locality for many endangered species, including Giant Panda,Dove tree,Chinese...
in Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
in early September.
Not uncommon and found across a wide range, this bird is not considered threatened by the IUCN.