The Taiwan yuhina (''Yuhina brunneiceps''), also known as Formosan yuhina, is a small

songbird A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds (Passeriformes). Another name that is sometimes seen as the scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin ''oscen'', "songbird". The Passeriformes contains 500 ...

Taxonomy and systematics

Like other

yuhina ''Yuhina'' is a genus of birds in the white-eye family Zosteropidae. The genus ''Yuhina'' was introduced in 1836 by the English naturalist Brian Houghton Hodgson with the stripe-throated yuhina as the type species. The genus name is from Nepali ...

s, it is closely related to the

white-eye The white-eyes are a family, Zosteropidae, of small passerine birds native to tropical, subtropical and temperate Sub-Saharan Africa, southern and eastern Asia, and Australasia. White-eyes inhabit most tropical islands in the Indian Ocean, the ...

s and if these were considered a distinct

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Zosteropidae, it would be placed there. Otherwise, it would be classed with the white-eyes in the Old World babbler Timaliidae family. The closest living relative of this species appears to be the black-chinned yuhina, which occurs on the Asian mainland.

Description

The Taiwan yuhina is in length with a chocolate brown crest and a

black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

beard stripe descending from its

beak The beak, bill, or rostrum is an external anatomical structure found mostly in birds, but also in turtles, non-avian dinosaurs and a few mammals. A beak is used for eating, preening, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food ...

. The bird's back, wings and tail are dark ash brown, and its lower breast is lighter in colour. Agreeing with other typical yuhinas in habitus, its colouration pattern makes it rather distinctive among the

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

Habitat and ecology

This

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

is found in hill forests at elevations of

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''. The comb ...

, although it is most common between ; it can descend to lower altitudes in winter. It is gregarious, active and quite tame. It keeps to lower forest and often joins other species, especially tits in mixed flocks. The flocks, while feeding, make a constant soft chatter. The call of the Taiwan yuhina is a sound somewhat like ''twi-MI-chiu'', which resembles the phrase "We MEET you". The Taiwan yuhina's diet mainly consists of nectar, berries, flowers and small insects. It may sometimes be observed hanging upside down on

cherry A cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus ''Prunus'', and is a fleshy drupe (stone fruit). Commercial cherries are obtained from cultivars of several species, such as the sweet ''Prunus avium'' and the sour ''Prunus cerasus''. The nam ...

trees. These songbirds are particularly fond of the flowers of the Chinese tulip tree and the fruits of trees of the family

Elaeagnaceae The Elaeagnaceae are a plant family, the oleaster family, of the order Rosales comprising small trees and shrubs, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, south into tropical Asia and Australia. The family has about 60 species ...

and the genus ''

Idesia :Idesia'' as established by Scopoli is a suppressed name; see ''Diospyros. ''Idesia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Salicaceae (formerly placed in the family Flacourtiaceae), comprising the single species ''Idesia polycarpa''. It ...

'' (

Salicaceae The Salicaceae is the willow family of flowering plants. The traditional family (Salicaceae ''sensu stricto'') included the willows, poplar, aspen, and cottonwoods. Genetic studies summarized by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG) have greatly ...

). Based on a population in

Nantou County Nantou County (; Hokkien POJ: ''Lâm-tâu-koān''; Hakka PFS: ''Nàm-thèu-yen'') is the second largest county of Taiwan by area, located in the central part of the country. It is also the only non-coastal county in Taiwan. Its name derives fro ...

, diet during the breeding season mostly consists of nectar and fruits of Taiwan cherry (''

Prunus campanulata ''Prunus campanulata'' is a species of cherry native to Japan, Taiwan, southern and eastern China (Guangxi, Guangdong, Hainan, Hunan, Fujian, and Zhejiang), and Vietnam. It is a large shrub or small tree, growing tall. It is widely grown as an ...

''), fruits of eastern debregeasia (''

Debregeasia orientalis ''Debregeasia orientalis'', common name yanagi ichigo, is a large shrub belonging to the family Urticaceae. Description ''Debregeasia orientalis'' can reach a height of . Branchlets are dark reddish and slender. Leaves are dark green, alternate, ...

''), and the nectar of mistletoe '' Taxillus lonicerifolius''. The breeding season for the Taiwan yuhina is from May to June.

References

*Collar, N. J. & Robson, C. 2007. Family Timaliidae (Babblers) pp. 70 – 291 in; del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A. & Christie, D.A. eds. ''

Handbook of the Birds of the World The ''Handbook of the Birds of the World'' (HBW) is a multi-volume series produced by the Spanish publishing house Lynx Edicions in partnership with BirdLife International. It is the first handbook to cover every known living species of bird. T ...

'', Vol. 12. Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.

External links

BirdLife Species Factsheet
{{Taxonbar, from=Q716314

Taiwan yuhina The Taiwan yuhina (''Yuhina brunneiceps''), also known as Formosan yuhina, is a small songbird endemic to the island of Taiwan. Taxonomy and systematics Like other yuhinas, it is closely related to the white-eyes and if these were considered a ...

Endemic birds of Taiwan