The dark-necked tailorbird is a songbird species. Formerly placed in the "Old World warbler" assemblage, it is now placed in the family Cisticolidae.
Region
South and Southeast Asia
Typical Environment
Found from northeastern India and Bangladesh through Myanmar and Indochina to southern China and the Thai–Malay Peninsula. It frequents lowland forests, forest edges, secondary growth, bamboo thickets, mangroves, and dense scrub. Often occurs along riparian corridors and in overgrown gardens and parks. Prefers dense understory and vine tangles where it forages and nests. Generally absent from closed-canopy interior rainforest and high montane zones.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A small, active songbird of the family Cisticolidae, the dark-necked tailorbird is famous for stitching leaves together to form a cradle-like nest. Males show a dark throat patch that gives the species its name, while females are duller. It thrives in dense scrub and secondary growth, often near human habitation. Its constant scolding calls make it easier to detect than to see.
Dark-necked Tailorbird, Thailand
Temperament
skulking but active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually seen in pairs or small family groups, sometimes joining mixed-species flocks. Pairs build a characteristic nest by stitching living leaves together with plant fibers or spider silk, lining the cradle with soft materials. Both sexes participate in nesting and feeding young. Territorial during breeding season.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Loud, repetitive, scolding series of chips and squeaky notes, often accelerating. Males call frequently from low cover and may duet with the female. Contact calls are sharp and metallic, aiding pair cohesion in dense vegetation.
Plumage
Olive-green upperparts with a warm rufous crown and nape; underparts whitish to pale buff with yellowish flanks. Males show a contrasting dark (blackish) throat and upper breast; females have a paler or grayish throat. Long, graduated tail often cocked; wings short and rounded.
Diet
Primarily feeds on small insects and other arthropods such as caterpillars, beetles, and spiders. Gleans prey from leaves, twigs, and vine tangles, and probes into rolled or stitched leaves. Occasionally takes small berries or nectar when available but remains largely insectivorous.
Preferred Environment
Forages in dense understory, scrub, hedgerows, and secondary growth, often close to the ground to mid-levels. Frequently works along forest edges, riparian thickets, mangroves, and overgrown gardens where cover is abundant.
