Pericrocotus albifrons
The Jerdon's Minivet, *Pericrocotus albifrons*, is a strikingly marked passerine belonging to the Cuckoo-shrike family (Campephagidae), endemic to mainland Southeast Asia. Males are particularly vibrant, sporting glossy black upperparts contrasting sharply with bright orange-red underparts, and an unmistakable, prominent white forehead patch, which gives the species its scientific epithet 'albifrons' meaning 'white-fronted'. A distinct white wing bar further aids identification. Females, whil...
Typically found in lowland open deciduous forests, riverine woodlands, secondary growth, and scrubland, often near water sources. It generally inhabits areas below 1,000 meters elevation.
Primarily insectivorous, feeding on a variety of insects including beetles, caterpillars, moths, grasshoppers, ants, and flies. It forages actively by gleaning from foliage and sally-hawking from perches.
Jerdon's Minivet is a diurnal and highly active insectivore, often observed in pairs or small family groups, though it frequently integrates into larger mixed-species foraging flocks, or 'bird waves', alongside drongos, babblers, and other insect-eating birds. It employs a combination of foraging...
The Jerdon's Minivet is an endemic resident of mainland Southeast Asia. Its core breeding range encompasses central and southern Myanmar, extending across most of Thailand (though less common in the deep south), Laos, and Cambodia, reaching into southern Vietnam. Isolated populations may also be ...
Least Concern
- The species name "albifrons" is Latin for "white-fronted," perfectly describing the male's distinctive forehead patch. - Unlike many minivet species where males are bright red and females are bright yellow, Jerdon's Minivet males have a unique orange-red and females yellow-orange, yet both feat...