Wildlifeof Sulawesi
Mountain Tailorbird
Further Photo-backed Species
Photo: bencostamagna · CC BY (May be cropped or resized)
Phyllergates cucullatus
Basic stats
Diet
Invertebrates gleaned from vegetation
Habitat
Hill and montane forest understorey, woodland, bamboo and secondary growth to 2,500m
Range
Himalayan foothills and southern China through montane Southeast Asia
Clutch size
Usually 3–4 eggs
Size
12–13cm
The mountain tailorbird is a tiny 12–13 cm warbler with a long bill and frequently cocked tail. Adults are green above and bright yellow below, with a grey face and breast, rufous or orange forehead and crown, whitish eyebrow and black eye stripe. Juveniles are duller and lack the orange forecrown. Despite its name it is not closely related to Orthotomus tailorbirds; it belongs to Phyllergates in the Cettiidae (eBird/Merlin; Hong Kong Bird Watching Society; Wikipedia taxonomy).
Across its Asian range it keeps to brushy understorey in hill and submontane forest, sometimes joining mixed flocks. Recorded habitats also include woodland, bamboo, pine forest and secondary growth from lowlands to about 2,500 m. It gleans invertebrates from vegetation. Comparative datasets estimate a clutch averaging about 3.5 eggs, but no incubation period was available. The very high, tinkling song and descending trills often reveal this secretive bird before it is seen (Oiseaux.net synthesis; eBird/Merlin).
Quick answers
- What does the Mountain Tailorbird eat?
- Invertebrates gleaned from vegetation
- What habitat does the Mountain Tailorbird live in?
- Hill and montane forest understorey, woodland, bamboo and secondary growth to 2,500m
- Where is the Mountain Tailorbird found?
- Himalayan foothills and southern China through montane Southeast Asia
- How many eggs does the Mountain Tailorbird lay?
- Usually 3–4 eggs
- How big is the Mountain Tailorbird?
- 12–13cm