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| A Strikingly Eye-Catching Babbler of Old-Growth Hill Forests – The Himalayan Cutia, Male |
| The Himalayan Cutia is a chunky, small-sized bird predominantly found in the mountainous regions of Himalayas. Sporting a brilliant plumage in a combination of with a distinctive appearance, especially in males, which have a black mask and a bright rufous back, black and white striped belly, they are undoubtedly eye-catching creatures. The female is paler and has a brown face. It is a beautiful, stocky inhabitant of high-elevation broadleaf and mixed forests. Looks like a babbler, but much more closely related to laughingthrushes. Its scientific name ultimately means “the khutya from Nepal”, as Cutia is derived from the Nepali name for these birds, and nipalensis is Latin for “from Nepal”. . . . . . . . .. .. …. ……. . .. … …… ………………………. ………….. ……………….. .. …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. … …. ………… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. ……………. …… …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. .. ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. …………. The Himalayan Cutia is a chunky, sexually dimorphic babbler with grey crown, dark mask, chestnut upperparts, bold black flank barring. It measures about 17 to 19 cms in length and weighs about 40 to 56 gms. The Male of the nominate race has forehead to nape bluish slaty grey, broad black mask from bill through eye and ear-coverts and extending in narrow band across nape; upperparts bright rufous-chestnut, including long uppertail-coverts extending well towards tip of blackish tail; greater upperwing-coverts (and primary coverts) black, median coverts bronze-olive, tertials slate-grey with black tips, primaries and secondaries blackish with slate-grey outer fringes, narrow white tips on primaries; white throat, breast and mid-belly, buff flanks and vent, prominent well-spaced black bars on breast side and flanks; iris dull crimson-brown to pale brown; bill black to blackish-brown, lower mandible greyish-brown or bluish-brown; legs orange to brownish-yellow. Female is duller than male, lores to nape side dull greyish-brown, mantle and back dull orangey olive-buff with drop-like oval black spots. Juvenile male resembles adult male, but head slightly duller, bars on flanks fainter; juvenile female as adult female, but crown tinged brown, underparts tinged buff, fainter dark bars on flanks. There are Three subspecies recognized all having slightly different colourations and plumage. . . . . . . . .. .. …. ……. . .. … …… ………………………. ………….. ……………….. .. …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. … …. ………… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. ……………. …… …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. .. ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. …………. The Himalayan Cutia are found in high-elevation broadleaf and mixed forests throughout the Himalayan region, from India to Northern Thailand. It is found in broadleaf evergreen forest, particularly larger trees festooned with epiphytes and moss, sometimes open mixed oak and pine forest, commonly in tops of trees, mainly in areas of old-growth forest with well-developed canopy. It is found from 1200 to 2800 mtrs in India, descending to 700 mtrs in winter. . . . . . . . .. .. …. ……. . .. … …… ………………………. ………….. ……………….. .. …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. … …. ………… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. ……………. …… …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. .. ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. …………. Forages at middle and upper levels, often in small groups, picking invertebrates from leaf clusters, ferns and orchids, and mossy crevices of trunks and branches. Cutias primarily feed on insects and other invertebrates, often employing an unusual feeding technique where they hang upside-down while foraging. Diet consists of Beetles and other insects, larvae, pupae, insect eggs, gastropods; seeds and berries; seen also to feed on pine cones and to ingest grit. Creeps along tree trunks and branches like a Nuthatch; although runs and hops, movements generally slow and rather laboured. Behaviour similar to that of The Pied Shrike-Babbler. Outside breeding season occurs in monospecific groups of up to twelve individuals, but often in mixed flocks which frequently include other species and other babblers. . . . . . . . .. .. …. ……. . .. … …… ………………………. ………….. ……………….. .. …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. … …. ………… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. ……………. …… …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. .. ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. …………. They have a loud, distinctive song, described as an extended series of high-pitched, piercing “chee!” notes and an even series of sharp “kleepa” notes, sometimes protracted into longer and more slurred sequence “yuip-yuip-yuip-yuip-yuip-yuip jiw-jiw-jiw-jiw yuip-yuip-yuip-yuip-yuip-yuip…”; also, a series of 5 to 19 rather hard, stressed, relatively high-pitched notes, repeated every 3 to 9 secs (delivered fairly slowly to quickly), sometimes interspersed with harsh grating “djrrri” or “jorrri” (perhaps not by same bird), “jorrri-jorrri-jorrri-ip-ip-ip-ip-ip-ip…”. Calls include light “chick chick chick…”, sharper and louder “chit”, and repeated harsh low “jert” when foraging. . ……… … …. ………… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………. …… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………………….. … ………… ….. ………. …… ………….. ………… ………… ….. …… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………………………………………. …. …. … .. …………………. …. …. … ……………. ………… ….. ……………………………. …. …. … .. …………………. …. …………………….. ….. …………….. .. Description Credit – Birds of the World (The Cornell Lab), Oiseaux, Animalia, Ogaclicks, Birds of India | Bird World, Bird Count India & Wiki. |
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