Passeriformes / Leiothrichidae / Alcippe
Brown-cheeked Fulvetta
Alcippe poioicephala · 褐脸雀鹛
Introduction
A babbler-like bird in the family Leiothrichidae found in forests of South and Southeast Asia. It forages on trees for insects, often hanging from branches in a tit-like manner, and visits flowers for nectar. Known for loud multi-note whistling calls.
Description
Small, dull-colored bird measuring 15 cm from beak to tail tip. Features a short, weak grey bill with a curved upper mandible; nostrils are long with an overhanging membrane. Wings are brownish, underside buff, and crown grey. In some subspecies, a dark stripe begins behind the eyes and meets at the nape. Tail feathers are nearly equal in length. Sexes are indistinguishable.
Identification
Often hard to see in vegetation but identified by loud multi-note whistling calls, especially at dawn, which can be mistaken for magpie robin or puff-throated babbler. Foraging behavior is distinctive, often dangling below branches like a tit. Some populations show a prominent brown cheek or dark subcoronal head stripes.
Distribution & Habitat
Resident breeding bird of moist deciduous and evergreen forests, particularly in hills. Distributed widely in peninsular India (Western and Eastern Ghats), east of the Brahmaputra river, Bangladesh, and Southeast Asia including Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and southern China. Several subspecies exist with varying ranges across these regions.
Behavior & Ecology
Forages in loose flocks, sometimes joining mixed-species groups, where it may act as a dominant member. Diet includes insects and nectar from flowers such as Erythrina and Cullenia exarillata. Breeding occurs from January to June with a peak in January–February. Nests are cups built with moss, rootlets, lichen, leaves, and grass, placed in shrub forks at a mean height of 68.21 cm. Clutch size is two to three eggs; incubation lasts 10 ± 2 days and nestling period 12 ± 2 days. Hatching success is 55% and nestling success 32%. Preferred nesting plants include Lasianthus ciliatus, Saprosma fragrans, and Thottea siliquosa.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Taxonomy
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Leiothrichidae
- Genus
- Alcippe
Vocalizations
Subspecies (8)
-
Alcippe poioicephala alearis
southern China (southern Yunnan) to northern plateau of Thailand and northern Indochina
Data Sources
Species description from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Bird images and sounds sourced from GBIF, contributed by citizen scientists worldwide under Creative Commons licenses.
Taxonomy data from AviList 2025.
