The black-headed parrotbill is a bird species often placed with the Old World babblers or in the Sylviidae, but it actually seems to belong to the distinct family Paradoxornithidae.
Region
Southeast Asia
Typical Environment
Found in subtropical to tropical evergreen forest edge, secondary growth, and especially dense bamboo and scrub. It prefers tangled thickets where it forages low to mid-height, often within bamboo culms and leafy understory. It can occur in fragmented habitats and along forest margins, and may utilize regenerating areas. Local presence can be patchy, tracking suitable bamboo stands.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1800 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
The black-headed parrotbill is a bamboo- and scrub-dwelling songbird of the parrotbill family Paradoxornithidae, historically grouped with Old World babblers. Its stout, parrot-like bill helps it pry insects and seeds from bamboo and dense shrubs. It often travels in small, active parties and may join mixed-species flocks, but can be surprisingly skulking in thick cover.
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats through dense cover
Social Behavior
Typically moves in small, chatty groups and sometimes joins mixed-species flocks in the understory. Nests are placed low in dense shrubs or bamboo, with both parents participating in care. Pairs maintain contact calls while foraging and remain close in thick vegetation.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A series of thin, high-pitched twitters and chips, often delivered in quick sequences from within cover. Calls include sharp contact notes and scolding chatter when disturbed.
