The ashy tailorbird is a species of bird formerly placed in the "Old World warbler" assemblage, it but now placed in the family Cisticolidae. It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, Vietnam. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical mangrove forest.
Region
Southeast Asia
Typical Environment
Occurs from Myanmar and Thailand through Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore to Brunei, Indonesia, and the Philippines, with populations also in Vietnam. It inhabits subtropical and tropical moist lowland forests, secondary growth, thickets, and extensive mangrove stands. The species favors dense understory and edge habitats, including forest margins and scrub near water. It adapts well to disturbed areas provided sufficient shrubby cover remains.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1000 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Ashy tailorbirds are famed for sewing living leaves together with plant fibers or spider silk to form a cradle for their nest. They are energetic skulkers of low, dense vegetation, often heard before seen. Pairs maintain small territories year-round in mangroves and moist lowland forests. Their sharp, repetitive calls carry surprisingly far for such a small bird.
Temperament
active and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually found singly or in pairs, maintaining small territories with year-round pair bonds. Nests are crafted by sewing leaf edges to form a pouch lined with fine fibers, typically placed low in dense foliage. They may join mixed-species flocks at forest edges but remain close to cover.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A sharp, repetitive series of metallic ticks and chipping notes, often delivered from concealed perches. Calls include quick tsee-tsee or chik-chik phrases that are insistent and carry well through mangroves and thickets.
Plumage
Compact, long-tailed warbler with ashy-gray underparts and olive-green upperparts, contrasting with a warm rufous head and nape. Throat often pale to whitish, with fine, neat feathering. Tail is frequently cocked and edged with darker tones.
Diet
Primarily feeds on small insects, larvae, and spiders gleaned from leaves and twigs. Occasionally takes tiny beetles and other arthropods from the undersides of foliage. May supplement diet with small berries or nectar when available.
Preferred Environment
Forages in dense shrubs, mangrove tangles, and the lower forest understory, often within a few meters of the ground. Frequently works along edges, clearings, and regenerating scrub where insect prey is abundant.
