Collared finchbill

Spizixos semitorques

Photo by Jon Hornbuckle (Oriental Bird Images)

Common name:
collared finchbill (en); tuta-de-coleira-interrompida (pt); bulbul à semi-collier (fr); bulbul collarejo (es); halsbandbülbül (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family  Pycnonotidae

Range:
This species is found in central and south-eastern China, as well as in Taiwan and marginally into northern Vietnam.

Size:
These birds are 17-23 cm long and weigh 35-50 g.

Habitat:
The collared finchbill is mostly found in temperate and tropical forests, especially along forest edges, but also in scrublands, savannas, secondary forests and within urban areas. It is present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.000 m.

Diet:
They feed mostly on fruits and berries, but also take seeds and insects, especially beetles.

Breeding:
Collared finchbills breed in April-August. The nest is bowl-shaped and made of dry grasses, stems, leaves and fine roots. It is usually placed at the tip of a branch, most often on a tree, but sometimes also on a scrub. The female lays 2-4 white, light brown or pale yellow eggs with reddish-brown and purple spots. The eggs are incubated for 10-12 days and the chicks fledge 13 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and the population in China, which represents most of the global population, has been estimated at 20.000-200.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.