Marshall's Iora

Overview

Marshall's iora, also known as the white-tailed iora, is a songbird in the genus Aegithina found in parts of India and Sri Lanka. It has been a subject of taxonomic debate, having only returned to widespread acceptance as a full species since 2003 after earlier suggestions that it was a clinal variant of the common iora.

Identification

• Short wing and tail with white edging to tertials converging broadly at the tip.
• Smaller and shorter bill compared to the common iora (Aegithina tiphia).
• Distinct vocalisations that differ from the common iora.
• Adult females are entirely green above with a black tail featuring white central feathers, and yellow below.

Habitat

The species is primarily known from northwestern India, with some verified specimen records from southern India and it is also now known from Sri Lanka. Its distribution range is believed to overlap significantly with that of the common iora.

Did you know?

The species' status as a distinct entity has been contested for so long that it was once thought to be a clinal variant of the common iora, but it has only returned to widespread acceptance as a full species since 2003.