Red-billed leiothrix

The red-billed leiothrix was formally described in 1786 by the Austrian naturalist Giovanni Antonio Scopoli under the binomial name Sylvia lutea. Scopoli based his account on "La mésange de Nanguin" that had been described and illustrated in 1782 by the French naturalist Pierre Sonnerat in the second volume of his book Voyage aux Indes orientales et à la Chine. The species is now placed together with the silver-eared mesia in the genus Leiothrix that was introduced in 1832 by the English naturalist William Swainson. The genus name combines the Ancient Greek leios meaning "smooth" and thrix meaning "hair". The specific epithet lutea is from Latin luteus meaning "saffron-yellow". Scopoli specified the type location as China but this was subsequently restricted to the mountainous regions of the Chinese province of Anhui. Five subspecies are recognised: • L. l. kumaiensis Whistler, 1943 – northwest Himalayas • L. l. calipyga (Hodgson, 1837) – central Himalayas to northwest Myanmar • L. l. yunnanensis Rothschild, 1921 – northeast Myanmar and south China • L. l. kwangtungensis Stresemann, 1923 – southeast China and north Vietnam • L. l. lutea (Scopoli, 1786) – south-central, east China == Description ==

The leiothrix is about six inches in length, generally olive green, and has a yellow throat with orange shading on the breast. It also has a dull yellowish ring around the eye that extends to the beak. The female is a lot paler than the male and lacks the red patch on the wings. == Distribution and habitat ==

The leiothrix is usually found in India, Bhutan, Nepal, Burma and parts of Tibet. This species is a bird of the hill forests, found in every type of jungle though it prefers pine forests with bushes. It has also been found at elevations ranging from near sea level to about . In Japan it prefers forests of Abies and Tsuga with a dense understorey of bamboo. The leiothrix was released in Western Australia but it failed to become established. This species was also introduced in Great Britain but permanent establishment was thought to be unsuccessful, although a cluster of sightings in 2020–2022 in southern England suggests that some colonies may have been established. It was introduced to France, where it is now established in several areas, Spain where it is increasing and spreading from the Collserola Park, and Portugal. In Japan, naturalised populations of what is probably the nominate subspecies of this species have been recorded since the 1980s and it has become established in central and southwestern Japan. It is also established on the Mascarene island of Réunion. The species has also been introduced in Italy where three major populations can be identified (Tuscany and Liguria, Latium, Colli Euganei) and there are several areas at high risk of invasion. ==Behaviour and ecology==

The presence of the avian malaria parasite has been found in the blood of this species. The nests of the red-billed leiothrix are composed of dry leaves, moss and lichen; however, they are not well hidden because concealment isn't really a primary factor when determining a nest site. Several nests are found between April and June and are placed within ten feet of the ground. Dense vegetation provides the shrub nesting species protection against predators. The eggs of the leiothrix are found in clutches of two to four eggs with an average of three. They are broad and blunt in shape with some gloss on the outside and they also have a pale blue colour and red like brown spots that encircle the larger end of the eggs. The newly hatched birds have bright red skin and a rich orange red gape. ==Gallery==

File:Chakkimorh-5332-2.jpg|Chakkimorh, Himachal Pradesh, India File:Red-billed leiothrix.jpg|Red-billed leiothrix, Maui, Hawaii File:Leiothrix lutea -Chester Zoo, England -two-8a.jpg|Two at Chester Zoo, England File:Leiothrix lutea -Chester Zoo, Cheshire, England-8a.jpg|Male at Chester Zoo, England File:Leiothrix lutea calipyga MHNT 227 Jiangsu Chine.jpg|Egg of L. l. calipyga MHNT ==References==