Red-billed Leiothrix Identification

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Red-billed Leiothrix Photos and Videos

A small songbird with a short red bill, bright yellow throat, vividly marked wings, and forked black tail.

Black wing feathers are edged in yellow, orange, and scarlet. Greenish crown contrasts with olive-gray upperparts.

Forages in low, dense vegetation, feeding on a mix of invertebrates and fruit.

A small, rotund songbird with a forked tail that flares outward.

Native to mainland Asia, from Pakistan across the Himalayas to southeastern China. Introduced to Japan, the Hawaiian Islands, Reunion, Italy, France, and Spain.

Males deliver a long, complex song of varied, melodious, and slightly burry notes.

Typically found in dense vegetation in the forest understory.

See more images of this species in Macaulay Library

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Identification

A plump, brightly colored babbler of dense forest understory. The yellow-orange breast and red bill are distinctive. The tail feathers have a peculiar outward curve near the tip. The song is a somewhat disjointed series of melodious phrases; calls include harsh scolding, chattering, and a repeated “peter-peter”. Native to Asia, from the eastern China west to the Himalayas; introduced to Hawaii, Japan, Reunion Island, and parts of Europe.