The golden bush robin or golden bush-robin was first discovered in 1845 by Brian Houghton Hodgson, a British naturalist.
Region
Himalayas to southern China and northern Southeast Asia
Typical Environment
Found from the Himalayas across northern Myanmar and southwest to central and southern China, extending into northern Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. It inhabits montane broadleaf and mixed conifer forests, rhododendron and bamboo thickets, and forest edges. Birds favor dense understory and damp gullies, often near streams and clearings. In winter they descend to lower montane and foothill scrub and secondary growth. They are typically scarce to locally common where suitable understory exists.
Altitude Range
1200–4200 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The golden bush robin was first described in 1845 by British naturalist Brian Houghton Hodgson. Males show rich golden-yellow tones that make them conspicuous when singing from low perches, but the species is otherwise shy and keeps to dense cover. It undertakes altitudinal movements, breeding high in the mountains and descending to lower elevations in winter. It often responds to pishing and can be detected by its clear, sweet song in montane thickets.
Temperament
shy and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, low and direct through cover
Social Behavior
Usually solitary or in pairs during the breeding season; males hold small territories and sing from low perches within dense cover. Nest is a well-concealed cup placed close to the ground in thick vegetation or banks. Clutches are small, and both parents feed the young. Outside breeding, birds remain secretive and loosely associated in suitable thickets.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Song is a series of clear, sweet whistles and trills delivered at a measured pace, carrying well through montane understory. Calls include thin, high tseep notes and soft chips given from cover.
Plumage
Male shows bright golden-yellow underparts and rump with olive-brown to dusky upperparts, a bold yellowish supercilium, and darker face. Female is duller olive-brown above with buffy to yellowish underparts and a pale supercilium; both sexes have a warm rufous-brown tail. Plumage is soft and unpatterned aside from the eyebrow and subtle wing edging.
Diet
Primarily feeds on insects and other small arthropods such as beetles, caterpillars, and spiders. It gleans from leaves and twigs, probes mossy logs, and makes short sallies to snatch prey. In the non-breeding season it also takes small berries and other soft fruits when available. Foraging is typically low, within a meter or two of the ground.
Preferred Environment
Dense understory of montane forests, including bamboo and rhododendron thickets, shaded gullies, and forest edges. Often forages along trails, stream margins, and in regenerating secondary growth where cover is abundant.
