Himalayan rubythroat facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Himalayan rubythroat |
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| Male of the nominate subspecies (Dehradun, India) | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Calliope
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| Species: |
pectoralis
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| Subspecies | |
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See text |
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| Synonyms | |
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Luscinia pectoralis |
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The Himalayan rubythroat (Calliope pectoralis) is a small passerine bird. It belongs to the family Muscicapidae, which includes old world flycatchers and chats. This bird is found in the Himalayan mountains. Its range stretches from Afghanistan all the way to Myanmar. It is related to the Siberian rubythroat. However, the Siberian rubythroat does not have white tail-tips or white tail bases.
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How Scientists Name Birds
The Himalayan rubythroat was first officially described in 1837. This was done by an English bird expert and artist named John Gould. He gave it the scientific name Calliope pectoralis.
For a while, this bird was called the "white-tailed rubythroat." It was placed in a different group of birds called Luscinia. But in 2010, scientists did a big study using DNA. They found that the Luscinia group was not correctly organized. Because of this, the white-tailed rubythroat was moved back to the Calliope group.
In 2016, another study looked at the DNA, calls, and looks of different white-tailed rubythroat types. They suggested that one type, C. p. tschebaiewi, should be its own species. This bird is now called the Chinese rubythroat. At the same time, the name "white-tailed rubythroat" was changed to "Himalayan rubythroat."
There are three main types, or subspecies, of the Himalayan rubythroat:
- C. p. ballioni (named by Severtsov, 1873) – Found in the mountains of central Asia and northeast Afghanistan.
- C. p. pectoralis (named by Gould, 1837) – Found in eastern Afghanistan.
- C. p. confusa (named by Hartert, 1910) – Found from Nepal to Bhutan.
What Does It Look Like?
The male Himalayan rubythroat is quite striking. Its upper body is a slaty brown color. It has a white patch on its forehead and a white stripe above its eyes. Its wings are brownish. The tail is blackish, but it has white at its base and white tips.
The throat and chest sides are black. The very center of its chin and throat is a bright scarlet red. Each black feather on its chest has a thin grey edge. Its belly and lower body are white.
Female Himalayan rubythroats look different. They are usually duller, with brownish-grey upper parts. They have a faint stripe above their eyes. Their underparts are smoky grey. In the eastern areas, females might have a short, whitish stripe near their beak.
The ballioni subspecies, found in Afghanistan, has a paler male. The confusa subspecies, found in the central and eastern Himalayas, has a blacker male. It also has a more noticeable white forehead.
Where Does It Live?
The Himalayan rubythroat lives in Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent. You can find it in many countries. These include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
These birds move around with the seasons. In summer, they go north and to higher mountain areas. In winter, they move to lower elevations in the south.
The ballioni subspecies lives in the western and northern parts of its range. The main type, pectoralis, is found in the western and central Himalayas of India. The confusa subspecies lives from Sikkim to Assam.
Their natural habitat is open woodlands and areas with thick bushes, called scrub. Sometimes, they might be seen in lower plains during summer.
Daily Life and Reproduction
Adult Himalayan rubythroats are usually shy birds. They often hide, but sometimes they will perch out in the open. They are usually seen alone or in pairs during the time they raise their young.
These birds mainly eat small insects. Their diet includes beetles and ants. During the breeding season, the male sings throughout the day. He sings from the top of a visible branch. His song is a series of squeaky notes that change a lot. Females make a short, rough sound followed by a rising whistle. When they are alarmed, they make a sharp yapping sound, like skyap.
In the Tien Shan mountains, these birds live in thick juniper bushes. They are found at heights of 2500 to 2700 meters. The breeding season is in summer. They build their nests in bushes near dense groups of trees.
The nest is often placed in the middle of a bush. Sometimes, it's on the ground in a thick patch of grass. The nest is usually a loose, large ball shape with an entrance on the side. But sometimes it's like an open cup. The female bird does most of the nest building.
A female lays 4 to 6 eggs. The eggs are greenish-blue with rusty dots. These dots often form a ring near the wider end of the egg. The female mostly sits on the eggs to keep them warm. Both parents feed the baby birds after they hatch.
The eggs hatch after about 14 days. The young birds leave the nest when they are about 16 days old. The parents look for food close to the nest. They mostly feed their young hairy caterpillars. Sometimes, rubythroats will leave their nest if a cuckoo bird lays an egg in it. Animals like martens and stoats can also destroy nests and eat the young birds.
In Art and Music
The male rubythroat's summer song inspired a piece of music. In 1995, Scottish composer Magnus Robb created a song called Summoning Dawn. He was inspired by the bird's tune. He noticed it when he played the bird's calls at a quarter of their normal speed.
