Tailorbird

Last updated

Tailorbird
Orthotomus sutorius.jpg
Common tailorbirds (Orthotomus sutorius)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Cisticolidae
Genus: Orthotomus
Horsfield, 1821
Type species
Orthotomus sepium
Horsfield, 1821
Species

See text

Tailorbirds are small birds, most belonging to the genus Orthotomus. While they were often placed in the Old World warbler family Sylviidae, recent research suggests they more likely belong in the Cisticolidae and they are treated as such in Del Hoyo et al. [1] One former species, the mountain tailorbird (and therefore also its sister species rufous-headed tailorbird), is actually closer to an old world warbler genus Cettia . [2]

Contents

They occur in the Old World tropics, principally in Asia.

These warblers are usually brightly colored, with green or grey upper parts and yellow white or grey under parts. They often have chestnut on the head.

Tailorbirds have short rounded wings, short tails, strong legs and long curved bills. The tail is typically held upright, like a wren. They are typically found in open woodland, scrub and gardens.

Tailorbirds get their name from the way their nest is constructed. The edges of a large leaf are pierced and sewn together with plant fibre or spider's web to make a cradle in which the actual grass nest is built.

Tailorbird baby and nest Tailorbird baby.jpg
Tailorbird baby and nest

Taxonomy

The genus Orthotomus was introduced in 1821 by the American naturalist Thomas Horsfield to include a single species, Orthotomus sepium Horsfield, 1821, the olive-backed tailorbird. This is therefore the type species of the genus by monotypy. [3] [4] The genus name is from Ancient Greek ορθος/orthos meaning "straight" and τομευς/tomeus, τομεως/tomeōs meaning "knife" or "edge". [5]

Species

The genus contains 13 species: [6]

ImageCommon NameScientific NameDistribution
Common tailorbird (51314191397).jpg Common tailorbird Orthotomus sutoriusChina, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, and Vietnam
Dark-necked Tailorbird (Orthotomus atrogularis) - Flickr - Lip Kee.jpg Dark-necked tailorbird Orthotomus atrogularisBangladesh, Northeast India, and Southeast Asia
Cambodian tailorbird Orthotomus chaktomuk [7] Cambodia
Visayan tailorbird Orthotomus castaneicepsPhilippines
Green-backed tailorbird Orthotomus chloronotusPhilippines
Rufous-fronted tailorbird Orthotomus frontaliseastern Philippines
Grey-backed tailorbird Orthotomus derbianusPhilippines (Palawan, Luzon, and Catanduanes)
Rufous-tailed tailorbird (cropped).jpg Rufous-tailed tailorbird Orthotomus sericeusBrunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand
Ashy Tailorbird (Orthotomus ruficeps) - Flickr - Lip Kee.jpg Ashy tailorbird Orthotomus ruficepsBrunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam
Olive-backed Tailorbird - Bot.Gardens - Bedugul - Bali S4E3209 (29696928462).jpg Olive-backed tailorbird Orthotomus sepiumIndonesia (Java, Madura Island, Bali and Lombok)
Yellow-breasted tailorbird Orthotomus samarensisPhilippines
Black-headed tailorbird Orthotomus nigricepsPhilippines (Mindanao, Dinagat, and Siargao)
White-eared tailorbird Orthotomus cinereicepsPhilippines (Basilan and West Mindanao)

Two species moved to the Cettiidae:

References

  1. Del Hoyo, J.; Elliot, D.; Christie A., eds. (2008). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 11: Old World Flycatchers to Old World Warblers. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. ISBN   978-84-96553-42-2.
  2. Alström, Per; Ericson, P.G.P.; Olsson, U.; Sundberg, P. (2006). "Phylogeny and classification of the avian superfamily Sylvioidea". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 38 (2): 381–397. Bibcode:2006MolPE..38..381A. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2005.05.015. PMID   16054402.
  3. Horsfield, Thomas (1821). "Systematic arrangement and description of birds from the island of Java". Transactions of the Linnean Society. 13 (1): 133–200 [165-166].
  4. Mayr, Ernst; Cottrell, G. William, eds. (1986). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 11. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. pp. 173–174.
  5. Jobling, James A. "Orthotomus". The Key to Scientific Names. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  6. Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (February 2025). "Grassbirds, Donacobius, tetrakas, cisticolas, allies". IOC World Bird List Version 15.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 26 March 2025.
  7. Mahood, S. P.; et al. (2013). "A new species of lowland tailorbird (Passeriformes: Cisticolidae: Orthotomus ) from the Mekong floodplain of Cambodia" (PDF). Forktail. 29: 1–14.

Bibliography