Silver-eared mesia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Silver-eared mesia |
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| male (red rump) | |
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| female (orange rump) | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Leiothrix (bird)
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| Species: |
argentauris
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| Synonyms | |
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Mesia argentauris |
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The silver-eared mesia (Leiothrix argentauris) is a beautiful and colorful bird that lives in parts of South East Asia. It's known for its bright feathers and a unique silver patch near its ears. These birds are quite social and often seen in groups.
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Where They Live and Their Family Tree
The silver-eared mesia used to be part of a bird family called Timaliidae. But scientists have recently moved it to a new family, Leiothrichidae, which also includes birds like laughingthrushes.
Sometimes, this bird is placed in its own group called Mesia. Other times, it's grouped with the red-billed leiothrix in the Leiothrix group. There are seven different types, or subspecies, of silver-eared mesias. They look a bit different from each other. Scientists are still studying if they are all one species or not.
Here are the different types and where they live:
- M argentauris argentauris (Hodgson, 1837) - Found in northern and eastern India, Bhutan, northern Burma, and southern China.
- M argentauris galbana (Mayr & Greenway, 1938) - Lives in southern Burma and northern Thailand.
- M argentauris ricketti (La Touche, 1923) - Found in China (Yunnan, Guizhou & Guangxi), northern Laos, and Vietnam.
- M argentauris cunhaci (Robinson & Kloss, 1919) - Lives in southern Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia.
- M argentauris tahanensis (Yen Kwokyung, 1934) - Found in southern Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia.
- M argentauris rookmakeri (Junge, 1948) - Lives in northern Sumatra.
- M argentauris laurinae (Salvadori, 1879) - Found in southern Sumatra.
These birds usually stay in one place. However, some have been seen moving to lower areas during winter, like in Nameri National Park in Assam, India. This means they might move up and down mountains depending on the season. Some silver-eared mesias were also brought to Hong Kong from pet birds and now live freely there.
What They Eat
Silver-eared mesias mainly eat insects and their larvae (young insects). They also enjoy fruit and, less often, seeds. A study in Hong Kong found that most of their food was insects (87%) and fruit (97%).
These birds are very social when they look for food. They often gather in large groups of up to thirty birds. Even during the breeding season, they stay in groups. They also join big mixed flocks with other bird species in the forest. They usually feed closer to the ground, but sometimes they go up to 5 meters high in the trees.
Their Life Cycle and Reproduction
Silver-eared mesias have a specific breeding season. It usually lasts from November to August. In the northern parts of their range, the season starts later, around April.
Both the male and female birds help build the nest. It's a deep cup made of bamboo and other dead leaves. They line it with small roots and fern fibers. Building the nest takes about four days. They place it close to the ground or up to 2 meters high in a bush. Their nests look very similar to those of the red-billed leiothrix.
The eggs of the silver-eared mesia are white with light brown spots. A female usually lays between two and five eggs in one clutch. In India, four eggs are common, but in Malaysia, two or three are more typical. Both parents take turns sitting on the eggs to keep them warm. The female usually incubates the eggs at night. The eggs hatch after 13 to 14 days. Both parents also feed the baby birds. The young birds are ready to leave the nest after about 12 days. The parents continue to care for them for another 22 days after they fledge.
Gallery
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Male silver-eared mesia
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Subspecies M.a.argentauris from Neora Valley National Park, India
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Subspecies M.a.argentauris from Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, West Bengal, India
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From Neora Valley National Park, West Bengal, India
