Fire-tailed myzornis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fire-tailed myzornis
Male from Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary, Sikkim, India
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Paradoxornithidae
Genus:	Myzornis Blyth, 1843
Species:	M. pyrrhoura
Binomial name
Myzornis pyrrhoura Blyth, 1843
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The fire-tailed myzornis (Myzornis pyrrhoura) is a beautiful and unique bird. It is the only species in its group, called Myzornis. Recently, scientists placed it in a bird family known as Paradoxornithidae.

What Does It Look Like?

The fire-tailed myzornis is a small bird, about 11 to 13 centimeters (4 to 5 inches) long. It weighs around 10 to 13 grams, which is about as much as two quarters!

This bird has bright green feathers all over its body. It has a black "mask" around its eyes. The top of its head, called the crown, has black patterns that look like tiny scales. Its wings are black and white, but they have a bright red stripe. The sides of its tail are also red, which gives it its name. The bird's beak is long, a little bit curved, and black.

Where Do They Live?

You can find the fire-tailed myzornis in several countries in Asia. These include Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal.

These birds love to live in special kinds of forests. They prefer subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. These are forests found in mountains where it's often wet and warm. In places like the Sikkim and Arunachal Himalayas, they are quite common. They usually live at high altitudes, between 9,000 and 13,000 feet (about 2,700 to 4,000 meters).

They especially like areas with bamboo plants, Rhododendron shrubs, birch trees, and juniper trees. Sometimes, these birds move to lower areas when the weather gets colder in autumn.

What Do They Eat?

The fire-tailed myzornis has a varied diet. It eats small creatures like insects, spiders, and other tiny arthropods. But it also enjoys plant-based foods! It eats fruit, drinks nectar from flowers, and even sips sap from trees.

Reproduction and Life Cycle

In India and Nepal, the breeding season for the fire-tailed myzornis is usually from April to June. This is when they lay eggs and raise their young. In Bhutan, the breeding season might be longer. Young birds have been seen there as late as mid-September. This suggests that some birds might breed later in the year in that region.

Gallery

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  Bamboo stalks

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  Rhododendron

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  Birch

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  Oak

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  Rhododendron

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  Fire-tailed myzornis sunbathing beside Dirang Mandala Road at Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary