The golden-fronted leafbird (''Chloropsis aurifrons'') is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...
of
leafbird. It is found from the Indian subcontinent and south-western China, to south-east Asia and Sumatra.
It builds its
nest
A nest is a structure built for certain animals to hold eggs or young. Although nests are most closely associated with birds, members of all classes of vertebrates and some invertebrates construct nests. They may be composed of organic materi ...
in a tree, laying 2-3
eggs. This species eats
insects
Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs ...
and berries.
Taxonomy and systematics
Formerly, the
Sumatran leafbird
The Sumatran leafbird (''Chloropsis media'') is a species of bird in the family Chloropseidae. It is endemic to forest and plantations in Sumatra in Indonesia. It has often been included as a subspecies of the golden-fronted leafbird (''C. aurif ...
was considered as a
subspecies, but the two differ extensively in
morphology and other characteristics.
Description
The adult is green-bodied with a black face and throat bordered with yellow. It has dark brown
irises and blackish feet and bill.
It has a yellowish orange forehead and blue moustachial line (but lacks the blue flight feathers and tail sides of
blue-winged leafbird). Young birds have a plain green head and lack the black on their face and throat. The black of the face and throat appears slightly duller in females.
The southern Indian race, '' C. a. frontalis'', has a narrower yellow border to black face. The throat is black and it has a blue sub-moustachial stripe and duller orange forehead. Towards the extreme south of India and
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
the race ''insularis'' occurs which is slightly smaller than ''frontalis''.
[Rasmussen, P. C. & J. Anderton 2005. Birds of South Asia:The Ripley Guide. Vol 2. Smithsonian Institution and Lynx Edicions]
Vocalization
Its song consists of rising and falling liquid chirps in
bulbul
The bulbuls are members of a family, Pycnonotidae, of medium-sized passerine songbirds, which also includes greenbuls, brownbuls, leafloves, and bristlebills. The family is distributed across most of Africa and into the Middle East, tropical ...
-like tones and its call may include harsh whispers. They are also known to mimic the calls of other bird species and have loud calls.
Distribution and habitat
The golden-fronted leafbird is a common resident breeder in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and parts of Southeast Asia. Its habitat is forest and scrub.
Behaviour and ecology
The golden-fronted leafbird builds its
nest
A nest is a structure built for certain animals to hold eggs or young. Although nests are most closely associated with birds, members of all classes of vertebrates and some invertebrates construct nests. They may be composed of organic materi ...
in a tree, laying 2-3
eggs. This species eats
insects
Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs ...
and berries.
Gallery
File:Golden-fronted Leafbird - Bandavhgarh - India 8120 (16844995627).jpg, Golden-fronted leafbird in a flowering ''Butea monosperma'' tree
Image:Golden-fronted Leafbird (Chloropsis aurifrons) feeding at Jayanti, Duars, West Bengal W Picture 312.jpg, Feeding at Jayanti in Buxa Tiger Reserve in Jalpaiguri
Jalpaiguri is a city in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Jalpaiguri district as well as of the Jalpaiguri division of West Bengal, covering the jurisdiction of the five districts of North Bengal. The city is loc ...
district of West Bengal
West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the four ...
, India.
Image:Golden-fronted Leafbird (Chloropsis aurifrons) at Jayanti, Duars, West Benga W2 Picture 305.jpg, At Jayanti in Buxa Tiger Reserve in Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal, India.
Image:Chloropsis aurifrons-20031005.jpg, At Jurong BirdPark, Singapore
File:Golden Fronted Leafbird during daytime.jpg, Male in Nagarhole National Park, India
References
*''Birds of India'' by Grimmett, Inskipp and Inskipp,
* Wells, D. R. (2005). Chloropsis aurifrons (Golden-fronted Leafbird). pp. 265–266 in: del Hoyo, J., A. Elliott, & D. A. Christie. eds. (2005). ''Handbook of the Birds of the World.'' Vol. 10. Cuckoo-shrikes to Thrushes. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
golden-fronted leafbird
Birds of South Asia
Birds of Southeast Asia
golden-fronted leafbird
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