Blue-winged minla

Overview

Wikipedia

The blue-winged minla, also known as the blue-winged siva, is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae.

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Distribution

Region

South and Southeast Asia

Typical Environment

The blue-winged minla ranges from the Himalayan foothills of Nepal, Bhutan, and northeastern India across northern Myanmar and southern China to northern Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. It inhabits subtropical and montane evergreen broadleaf forests, mixed pine-oak woods, bamboo thickets, and forest edges. The species often follows ridgelines and valleys where dense understory and epiphyte-laden branches provide foraging sites. It is largely sedentary, with some local altitudinal movements following seasonal resource availability.

Altitude Range

800–3000 m

Climate Zone

Subtropical

Characteristics

Size13–15 cm

Wing Span18–22 cm

Male Weight0.014 kg

Female Weight0.013 kg

Life Expectancy6 years

Ease of Keeping

Beginner friendly: 2/5

Useful to know

Also called the blue-winged siva, this small, active babbler often joins mixed-species flocks in montane forests. It forages acrobatically in the mid to upper canopy, gleaning insects and sipping on small berries. Its vivid blue wing and tail panels make it one of the more striking minlas in its range.

Gallery

At Sattal, Kumaon, India

Behaviour

Temperament

social and active

Flight Pattern

short rapid wingbeats

Social Behavior

Commonly travels in small, vocal parties and frequently joins mixed-species flocks with yuhinas, fulvettas, and other babblers. Breeding pairs build neat cup nests in dense shrubs or bamboo, and both sexes participate in parental care. Outside the breeding season, loose flocks range widely through forest strata.

Migratory Pattern

Resident

Song Description

A series of thin, high-pitched whistles and rapid trills, often delivered in short phrases. Contact calls are sharp, sibilant tsee notes used to keep flocks together.

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Identification

Leg Colorblackish-grey

Eye Colordark brown

Plumage

Sleek, finely textured plumage with olive-brown upperparts, bright blue panels in the wings and tail, and buffy to whitish underparts with warm rufous flanks.

Feeding Habits

Diet

Feeds primarily on insects and other small arthropods gleaned from leaves, twigs, and mossy branches. It supplements its diet with small berries and soft fruits, especially in the non-breeding season. Occasional nectar sipping and probing among flowers are reported.

Preferred Environment

Most often forages in the mid to upper canopy of evergreen and mixed forests, including along forest edges and in bamboo. Frequently accompanies mixed-species flocks to exploit disturbed or productive microhabitats.

Population

Total Known Populationunknown

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