Vinous-throated Parrotbill

Brown-headed parrot beak of the subspecies Paradoxornis webbianus bulomachus

The brown-headed parrot's beak ( Sinosuthora webbiana, Syn Paradoxornis webbianus, also brown-headed parrot Meise ) is a small, common songbird in East Asia from the family of warbler -like. Its distribution extends from Vietnam on Taiwan, China and the Korean Peninsula to the Far East of Russia.

Appearance

The brown-headed parrot beak reaches a body length of 12.0 centimeters and a weight of 8.5 to 11 grams. The plumage is both males and females brown with slight reddish impact of the apex and the flight feathers. The underside is paler, the long tail feathers are dark greyish - brown with outer feathers. The gray beak is very short and thick, with paler tip. The small black eyes occupy a prominent position in the face. Legs and feet are colored gray.

Habitat

The brown-headed parrot beak inhabited different habitats from open woodlands with bushes to bamboo grove. During the summer, the bird keeps mostly to the undergrowth and thickets at the edges of mixed forests. During the winter flocks of up to 40 individuals gather in the reeds, on grassy slopes, thickets and agricultural areas.

Distribution area

The distribution area of the brown-headed parrot beak extends from northeastern China and the southern part of the Far East Russia on the Korean Peninsula and Taiwan to North Vietnam and Burma. As Irrgast the brown-headed parrot's beak can also be observed on the islands off the coast of Japan. Some northern populations migrate in the winter to the south, but most of the birds only change their habitat.

Since the mid- nineties exists in Northern Italy in the area around the Riserva naturale Palude Brabbia and adjacent areas a several thousand individuals comprehensive population of brown-headed parrot beaks and the closely related Grey -throated parrot beaks ( Sinosuthora alphonsiana ). The Italian population is approximately 150 individuals entflogene back, is sedentary and only has a low dispersal potential. Both taxa occur in mixed shoals on with a larger number of gray -throated parrot beaks. Likewise, mixed pairs could be observed both in Italy and in China, where the distribution areas of the two taxa overlap. The genetic analysis also suggests that there are not two clearly distinguishable types. Rather, only two different genetic lineages were found that do not exactly match the morphotypes. This suggests a synonymisation of S. alphonsiana ( Grey -throated parrot's beak ) with p webbiana.

Behavior

The brown-headed parrot beak usually forms flocks of ten birds, but there were already swarms of up to 80 individuals observed. The swarms move with great agility through the thick vegetation and maintain constant contact with shouts. The birds look from the vegetation for seeds, insects, spiders, and sometimes grain.

Brown-headed parrot beaks are monogamous. The male weaves the outer frame of a deep and cup-shaped nest of grass and different fibers in low trees, bamboo, dense grass or bushes. The female feeds the nest then with moss, cobwebs, hair and the like. Then it lays three to five blue-green to white eggs, alternately about 13 days to hatch both parents birds.

System

The former bird family " parrot beaks ( Paradoxornithidae ) ", published by John Gould in 1836, after a reorganization were first at the babblers ( Timaliidae ) and 2009 Gelang et al. incorporated in the warbler -like ( Sylviidae ). This was accompanied by numerous renaming the binomial name of the species, including the brown-headed parrot beak of " Paradoxornis webbianus " to Sinosuthora webbiana.

Six subspecies are distinguished:

• P w. mantschurica ( Taczanowski, 1885), south-east Russia and northeast China.
• P w. fulvicauda ( Campbell, CW, 1892), Hebei ( East China) and Korea.
• P w. suffusa ( Swinhoe, 1871), Central and South China, and northeastern Vietnam.
• P w. webbiana ( Gould, 1852), Jiangsu and Zhejiang ( East China), type species.
• P w. elisabethae (La Touche, 1922), South China and northwest Vietnam.
• P w. bulomacha ( Swinhoe, 1866), Taiwan.

The taxonomic classification of the Brown-headed Parrot 's beak is however disputed. Thus the species is sometimes found together with the gray -throated parrot beak and other species of the genus Sinosuthora.

Relationship to man

Damage to millet, sorghum, wheat and rice, which can be caused by the brown-headed parrot beak, are rare. His restless acrobatic behavior in the undergrowth made ​​the agile bird to a popular cage bird in China and Japan. Before the founding of the People 's Republic of China male brown head parrot beaks were popular with bird fights.

The species is due to their large distribution area and total population size as not at risk ( least concern ). A decrease in stocks could not be observed. The distribution area of the brown-headed parrot 's beak has spread on the contrary, in recent years through the intervention of man on. Thus, the species was introduced in the nineties to Italy.