Suthora atrosuperciliaris
The Pale-billed Parrotbill (Suthora atrosuperciliaris) is a diminutive and engaging avian jewel, typically measuring 11-13 cm in length and weighing a mere 7-10 grams. Its most striking feature is a prominent, short, and stout pale yellow to whitish-horn bill, which gives the species its common name. Plumage includes brownish upperparts, a rufescent crown, and whitish to pale buff underparts, often with a rufous wash on the flanks. Distinctive field marks include a bold black supercilium (eye...
Found primarily in dense undergrowth, bamboo thickets, secondary forests, and scrub, often near water, at elevations ranging from lowlands up to 2,500 meters.
Feeds primarily on small insects (e.g., beetles, caterpillars, ants) and spiders, supplemented with some small seeds and berries. Forages by gleaning from foliage and bamboo.
Pale-billed Parrotbills are diurnal and highly active, typically observed foraging in small, cohesive flocks of 3-10 individuals, frequently joining mixed-species foraging parties outside the breeding season. They are acrobatic foragers, gleaning small insects, spiders, and occasionally seeds fro...
The Pale-billed Parrotbill has a broad, though somewhat disjunct, distribution across South and Southeast Asia. Its breeding and resident range extends from northeastern India (Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram), through Bangladesh, Myanmar, northern Thailand, Laos, and northern Vietn...
Least Concern
- The Pale-billed Parrotbill's scientific name, 'atrosuperciliaris,' literally means 'black eyebrow,' directly referencing one of its most distinctive field marks. - Despite its small size, it can be found across an impressive elevational range, from nearly sea level to over 2,500 meters. - It is...