Redhead Nightingale

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Redhead Nightingale
Redhead Nightingale

Redhead Nightingale

Systematics
Order : Passerines (Passeriformes)
Subordination : Songbirds (passeri)
Family : Flycatcher (Muscicapidae)
Subfamily : Schmätzer (Saxicolinae)
Genre : Larvivora
Type : Redhead Nightingale
Scientific name
Larvivora ruficeps
Hartert , 1907

The redhead nightingale ( Larvivora ruficeps ) is a species of bird in the genus Larvivora within the flycatcher family . It occurs in China.

features

The redhead nightingale reaches a size of 15 centimeters. The wing length is 79 to 81 mm, the tail length 52 to 56 mm, the barrel length 27 mm and the beak ridge length 16 to 17.5 mm. In the adult male the skull and neck are brownish orange-red. The top and the wing covers are slate gray. The dark slate-colored wing feathers have slate-gray outer hems. The upper tail ceilings are slate black. The outer tail feathers are russet with black tips. The middle pair of control springs is slate black. The face is black. The pure white throat is bounded by two broad, black stripes and a semicircular, black throat band. The middle of the abdomen and the underside of the tail are white. The under wing coverts are ash gray with white tips and hems. The narrow inner seams of the wing feathers are reddish white. The iris is reddish brown, the beak is slate black. The feet are reddish yellow-brown. In the female, the top and tail are olive brown. Head and upper tail-coverts are more rusty red. The flight feathers are dark brown with olive brown outer flags. The underside is white. The throat is more cream-colored. The throat and chest feathers have gray hems. The flanks are olive brown.

distribution

The occurrence of the redhead nightingale is limited to the central Chinese provinces of Sichuan and Shaanxi . There are four known breeding areas. The wintering areas could either be in Indonesia or Malaysia , as a single individual was sighted in that country in 1963.

habitat

The redhead nightingale inhabits temperate mixed forests at altitudes between 2,400 and 2,800 meters as well as regrowing undergrowth on sand areas that arose after flash floods.

Way of life

The way of life of the redhead nightingale has so far been little researched. On one occasion, an earthworm and parts of plants were found in a male's stomach. Another time a male was seen foraging in the mud for food. On June 28, 1995, a nest with four eggs was discovered on a moss-covered fork of a branch 45 centimeters above the ground in a 5 meter high tree. On August 6, 1994, a nest with fledglings was observed that were being fed with food by the male. On August 8th the nest was already empty. Observation of a single individual in Malaysia in March 1963 could indicate that the redheaded nightingale hibernates either in that country or in Indonesia. It was detected in the breeding areas in China between mid-May and early August.

Existence and endangerment

BirdLife International classifies the red-headed nightingale in the “endangered” category and estimates the population at 2,500 to 10,000 specimens. The main threat is the loss and fragmentation of forests. Since the late 1960s, the forest cover in Sichuan has declined sharply due to the production of lumber and its conversion into agricultural land and pastureland. It is believed that significant areas of temperate forests have been lost. There is also limited logging in the protected areas, including the Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve. Dams to regulate floods were built in two valleys. If the redheaded nightingale is really dependent on habitats in mountain valleys that are caused by regularly recurring flash floods, the ongoing flood regulation measures could have a negative impact on the species' habitats. In the event the species overwinters in the primary lowland forests of the Sunda Islands , the loss of habitat could place enormous strain on the population.

literature

  • Josep del Hoyo , Andrew Elliott, David A. Christie: Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 10: Cuckoo-shrikes to Thrushes. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2005, ISBN 978-84-87334-72-6 .
  • Ernst Hartert: The birds of the Palearctic fauna. Systematic overview of the birds occurring in Europe, North Asia and the Mediterranean region. Volume 1. Publishing house by R. Friedländer and Son, Berlin 1910.

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