Black-headed Sibia - BirdForum Opus

Alternative names: Black-eared Sibia; White-spectacled Sibia (robinsoni)

Subspecies robinsoni
Photo © by Namnick
Vung Tau, Vietnam, October 2016

Heterophasia desgodinsi

Identification

With 21.5 to 24.5 cm (8½-9¾ in) a slender, long-tailed Babbler:

• Black head
• Black wings
• Black tail with grey tip
• Greyish underneath with whitish throat
• Dark-grey mantle

Distribution

Found from N Myanmar east to SC and SE China (Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Hunan, Tibet). Depending on the taxonomic boundary with Black-backed Sibia, also found in S Laos and Vietnam.
Generally common in its range.

Taxonomy

Subspecies desgodinsi
Photo by LeeHarding
XiZi Mountain Scenic Park, Yunnan, China, March 2013

This species was for a long time considered to be conspecific with Black-backed Sibia.

This species is also placed in the genus Malacias.

Subspecies

Five subspecies accepted^1,2:

• H. d. desgodinsi in Northern Myanmar to south-central and south-eastern China (Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Hunan, Tibet)
• H. d. tonkinensis in Northern Vietnam
• H. d. engelbachi in Southern Laos
• H. d. kingi in South-eastern Laos and central Vietnam
• H. d. robinsoni in Southern Vietnam

Habitat

Broadleaf evergreen forest, oak and pine forest, forest edge. Found between 800m and 2900m.¹

Behaviour

Mainly seen in pairs or small groups.

Diet

Feeds on insects, grubs, berries and also nectar. Forages mainly in the treetops, occasionally near the ground.

Breeding

Breeding season from April to August. In captivity lays 1 - 3 eggs, no information from wild birds.
Resident species with some minor altitudinal movement.¹

Vocalisation

Recording by china guy, Emei, Sichuan, China, December 2012

References

1. Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2007. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 12: Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553422
2. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Black-headed Sibia. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 30 April 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Black-headed_Sibia

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