Parrotbills (Paradoxornithidae)

Reed Parrotbill (Paradoxornis heudei) - HBW 12, p. 319

French: Paradoxornis du Yangtsé German: Jangtsepapageimeise Spanish: Picoloro del Yangtsé
Other common names: Heude’s Parrotbill, Chinese Parrotbill/Crowtit; Yangtze Parrotbill (heudei); Northern Parrotbill (polivanovi)

Taxonomy: Paradoxornis Heudei David, 1872, Jiangsu, China.
It has been suggested that race polivanovi merits full species status; also proposed that Mongolian birds represent a separate race, mongolicus, although differences from polivanovi are minimal (slightly purer grey mantle lacking dark streaks, slightly darker back, rump and breast sides, and slightly smaller size) and could involve minor clinal variation; in both cases, separation was based largely on presumed “huge” gap between N & S forms, but several populations have since been found in intervening areas and it is likely that this species will prove to have a more continuous range. In addition, polivanovi considered by some authors to represent one end of a geographical cline. Also, recently discovered populations of this species in coastal Tianjin Municipality (N & S Hebei) and coastal Liaoning, in E China, not yet assigned to race. Two subspecies currently recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

polivanovi Stepanyan, 1974 - extreme E Mongolia E to NE China (NE Nei Mongol, Heilongjiang) and extreme SE Russia (L Khanka region of Ussuriland).
heudei David, 1872 - E China, from SE Shandong S along coast to N Zhejiang (Hangzhou) and inland in R Yangtze system to N Jiangxi (Jiujiang area).