Common Tailorbird

Orthotomus sutorius

Description:

Small (12cm); upperparts olive, underparts creamy buff; bill long; thighs rufous; legs long; tail long. Male: Centre of crown rufous; sides of head and underparts white; black patches on neck. Female: Rufous restricted to the forehead. Monotonous loud call like 'chwee-o; chi-up; chee-rup' repeated quickly. Strong singers, making melodious calls which is much louder than seems possible for such a tiny bird. Very active and restless; usually heard rather than seen. They constantly shift their perch in the under storey thickets, and make short, quick darting flights.They are usually found in pairs. They are also called Long-tailed because the male's breeding plumage features highly extended central tail feathers.

Habitat:

They are usually found in the forest edges, scrub and cultivated areas such as parks, gardens. But they are never seen in the deep forest. They "sew" their nests out of green living leaves. Bold with humans, they are rapidly colonising urban areas. Common Tailorbirds "sew" their nests out of green living leaves. Tailorbirds eat insects actively foraging for these in the under storeys of habitats.They may also eats small fruits, berries, sip some nectar or eat tiny seeds.