Greater Green Leafbird

Overview

The greater green leafbird (Chloropsis sonnerati) is a species of bird in the family Chloropseidae classified as Endangered. It is found in parts of Southeast Asia, including Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Thailand.

Identification

• Distinguished from the lesser green leafbird by a powerful beak, yellow throat, and eye ring in females, and the lack of a yellow border along the black throat patch in males.
• Moves conspicuously at the canopy level, jumping between branches and flying from tree to tree.
• Possesses a loud voice consisting of an ascending whistle described as chee-zi-chee.

Habitat

Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and mangrove forests, mainly old-growth forests but also secondary forests and edges. Its range includes Brunei, Indonesia (Sumatra, Borneo, Natuna Islands, Java, and Bali), Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Thailand.

Diet

It often visits fruiting fig trees but also takes insects and small invertebrates. Foraging behaviour involves moving conspicuously at the canopy level, jumping between branches and flying from tree to tree.

Did you know?

The species has become rare or even disappeared in large parts of its range due to trapping for the cage bird trade.