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Silver-eared Mesia (Leiothrix argentauris)

Silver-eared Mesia

Leiothrix argentauris

Least Concern

Overview

The silver-eared mesia, Leiothrix argentauris, is a small bird found in South East Asia and classified as a laughingthrush in the family Leiothrichidae. It is currently assessed as a species of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Habitat

Its range spans Northern and eastern India, Bhutan, northern Burma, southern China, and further south to Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia, and Vietnam. The species is generally resident but may act as an altitudinal migrant, as evidenced by winter sightings in Nameri National Park, Assam.

Diet

Its diet is primarily composed of insects and their larvae, along with fruit and seeds. Foraging usually occurs in large groups of up to thirty individuals, or by joining mixed-species waves near the ground and up to five metres into the canopy.

Did you know?

Feral populations in Hong Kong were established from caged birds, where studies showed that 87% of faecal samples contained insects and 97% contained fruit. The nest structure is so similar to that of the red-billed leiothrix that it is said to be indistinguishable from that species.

Sources