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Parrotbills (Paradoxornithidae)

Grey-headed Parrotbill (Paradoxornis gularis) - HBW 12, p. 310

French: Paradoxornis à tête grise German: Graukopf-Papageimeise Spanish: Picoloro Cabecigrís
Other common names: Grey-headed Crowtit

Taxonomy: Paradoxornis gularis G. R. Gray, 1845, no locality = Bhutan.
Has sometimes been placed in a genus Psittiparus, along with P. ruficeps. Until recently considered conspecific with P. margaritae, but the two differ somewhat in morphology, plumage and voice. Birds in parts of S China of uncertain racial identity, those in W & NW Yunnan presumed to belong with transfluvialis and those in S Yunnan and SW Guangxi with laotianus. Former race considered of doubtful validity by some authors, and may be better merged with nominate; likewise, laotianus differs only slightly from fokiensis and perhaps better syno.. View all taxonomy...

Taxonomy: Paradoxornis gularis G. R. Gray, 1845, no locality = Bhutan.
Has sometimes been placed in a genus Psittiparus, along with P. ruficeps. Until recently considered conspecific with P. margaritae, but the two differ somewhat in morphology, plumage and voice. Birds in parts of S China of uncertain racial identity, those in W & NW Yunnan presumed to belong with transfluvialis and those in S Yunnan and SW Guangxi with laotianus. Former race considered of doubtful validity by some authors, and may be better merged with nominate; likewise, laotianus differs only slightly from fokiensis and perhaps better synonymized with it. Six subspecies currently recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

  • gularis G. R. Gray, 1845 - Himalayas and foothills from N India (Sikkim and extreme N West Bengal) E through Bhutan to W Arunachal Pradesh (NE India).
  • transfluvialis (E. J. O. Hartert, 1900) - C & E Arunachal Pradesh (E from Dafla Hills), S through hills of NE India (except Meghalaya) to Mizoram and Manipur, and E to W (N Chin Hills), N & E Myanmar, extreme S China (W & NW Yunnan) and NW Thailand.
  • rasus (Stresemann, 1940) - S Chin Hills (Mt Victoria), in W Myanmar.

     See all 6 subspecies
  • gularis G. R. Gray, 1845 - Himalayas and foothills from N India (Sikkim and extreme N West Bengal) E through Bhutan to W Arunachal Pradesh (NE India).
  • transfluvialis (E. J. O. Hartert, 1900) - C & E Arunachal Pradesh (E from Dafla Hills), S through hills of NE India (except Meghalaya) to Mizoram and Manipur, and E to W (N Chin Hills), N & E Myanmar, extreme S China (W & NW Yunnan) and NW Thailand.
  • rasus (Stresemann, 1940) - S Chin Hills (Mt Victoria), in W Myanmar.
  • laotianus (Delacour, 1926) - extreme E Myanmar (E of R Salween), S China (SYunnan, SW Guangxi), E part of NW Thailand (Khun Tan Range etc.), Laos and Vietnam (W & E Tonkin, N & C Annam).
  • fokiensis (David, 1874) - C & E China from SC & SE Sichuan E to N Jiangxi, SE Anhui, Zhejiang and N Fujian, S to NE Guangxi and N Guangdong.
  • hainanus (Rothschild, 1903) - Hainan I, in S China.
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