The black-breasted parrotbill is a 19 cm (7.5 in) long, large, thick-billed parrotbill with black patches on the head-sides and throat. Formerly placed with the typical warblers in the Sylviidae, the parrotbills are now considered a distinct family, the Paradoxornithidae.
Region
Northeast India and adjacent Bangladesh
Typical Environment
Confined mainly to the lowland floodplains of the Brahmaputra and nearby wetlands where tall elephant grass, reeds, and canebrakes dominate. It favors mosaics of Saccharum, Phragmites, and Arundo with scattered shrubs, often near river channels and seasonally inundated islands. After monsoon floods it may shift locally to suitable patches as vegetation regrows. Occurrence outside India is scarce and localized, with any populations extremely fragmented.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 200 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A specialist of tall alluvial grasslands, it uses its stout yellow bill to strip seeds and glean insects from reedbeds. It is a flagship species for the Brahmaputra floodplain grasslands and is highly sensitive to habitat loss and intensive burning. Conservation actions focus on protecting and managing seasonally flooded grasslands in key reserves such as Kaziranga and Dibru-Saikhowa.
Temperament
secretive and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats low over grass; weak, bouncing flights between clumps
Social Behavior
Usually seen in pairs or small family parties moving through dense stems. Likely monogamous with a cup nest placed low in tall grass or reeds; both parents participate in care. Outside the breeding season it can form small loose groups within suitable patches.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Quiet, tinkling series of notes interspersed with thin, high chips. Also gives scolding churrs and contact calls to keep in touch while moving through vegetation.
Plumage
Warm rufous-brown upperparts with paler buff underparts and a prominent black throat and upper breast patch. Face shows a dark mask with contrasting paler cheeks and a greyish crown; tail is long and graduated. Feathers appear smooth and close-fitting, aiding movement through dense grass.
Diet
Feeds on grass and reed seeds, tender shoots, and small arthropods such as beetles, caterpillars, and spiders. Uses its robust bill to shred seedheads and pry open stems for hidden prey. Supplements diet with buds and occasionally soft fruits when available.
Preferred Environment
Forages within dense stands of elephant grass and reedbeds from near ground level up to the tops of seedheads. Frequently uses recently burned or regenerating grassland where fresh shoots and seedheads are abundant.
