Orthotomus chaktomuk
The Cambodian Tailorbird (Orthotomus chaktomuk) is a charismatic small passerine, measuring approximately 10-12 cm in length and weighing around 7-8 grams. Its most striking features include a distinctive plain gray cap, a contrasting deep black throat and upper breast, and a clean white belly transitioning to a rufous-buff vent. The back and wings are an olive-green, blending seamlessly with the dense vegetation it inhabits. Its short, cocked tail is often fanned, revealing its rufous undert...
This tailorbird exclusively inhabits dense, tall, and often thorny scrubland, reedbeds, and thickets, particularly along the banks of major lowland rivers and their associated floodplains. It is primarily found at very low elevations, typically below 50 meters, in areas with extensive vegetation ...
Primarily insectivorous, the Cambodian Tailorbird feeds on a variety of small invertebrates, including caterpillars, beetles, and spiders, which it gleans from dense foliage and undergrowth.
The Cambodian Tailorbird is a perpetually active and rather skulking species, typically moving quickly through dense vegetation during daylight hours, often keeping close to the ground. Foraging involves meticulously gleaning insects and small invertebrates from the underside of leaves and within...
The Cambodian Tailorbird is endemic to a highly restricted range within Cambodia, primarily concentrated in the lowland floodplains and riparian scrublands surrounding the confluence of the Mekong, Tonlé Sap, and Bassac rivers. Its known distribution is centered around the Cambodian capital, Phno...
Near Threatened
- The Cambodian Tailorbird was only formally described in 2013, making it one of the most recent avian discoveries in the world. - Its scientific name, Orthotomus chaktomuk, refers to "chaktomuk," the Khmer word for the "four faces" where the Mekong, Tonlé Sap, and Bassac rivers meet, the heart o...