Babblers (Timaliidae)

Red-billed Leiothrix (Leiothrix lutea) - HBW 12, p. 270

French: Léiothrix jaune German: Sonnenvogel Spanish: Leiotrix Piquirrojo
Other common names: Pekin/Peking Robin; Doubtful Leiothrix (“L. astleyi”)

Taxonomy: Sylvia(lutea) Scopoli, 1786, mountains of Anhui, China.
Probably fairly close to Siva and Mesia. Form described as “L. astleyi”, known only from a pair of live individuals shipped from S China, is considered to represent a mutation of present species caused by long period in captivity. Birds from S Assam hills (India) named as race luteola, but inseparable from calipyga. Five subspecies recognised.

Subspecies and Distribution:

kumaiensis Whistler, 1943 - NW Himalayas from NE Pakistan E to N India (Uttaranchal Pradesh) India.
calipyga (Hodgson, 1837) - Nepal E to Bhutan, NE Indian hill states, S China (SE Xizang), and extreme NW Myanmar (S to N Chin Hills).
yunnanensis Rothschild, 1921 - NE Myanmar and S China (W & NW Yunnan).

See all 5 subspecies

kumaiensis Whistler, 1943 - NW Himalayas from NE Pakistan E to N India (Uttaranchal Pradesh) India.
calipyga (Hodgson, 1837) - Nepal E to Bhutan, NE Indian hill states, S China (SE Xizang), and extreme NW Myanmar (S to N Chin Hills).
yunnanensis Rothschild, 1921 - NE Myanmar and S China (W & NW Yunnan).
lutea (Scopoli, 1786) - SC & E China (S Gansu and S Shaanxi E to W Hubei, S Anhui, N Zhejiang and N Fujian, S to C & S Sichuan, Guizhou and N Guangxi).
kwangtungensis Stresemann, 1923 - S & SE China (SE Yunnan E to C Guangxi, S Hunan and Guangdong) and extreme N Vietnam (N Tonkin).