Bar-throated Minia

Doi Ithanon National Park, Thailand

The bar-throated  minia, or chestnut-tailed minia, has a substantal range from the Indian Subcontinent  to South East Asia.

Habitat

It inhabits montane forest  from 1800 to 3750 metres (5910-12300 feet).  Mainly resident, but moving to lower altitudes in severe winters, it thrives in a range of forest types including mixed broadleaf, evergreen, pine, oak and rhododendron, and bamboo..

Feeding

In summer, the bar-throated  minia is an insectivore but in winter it will supplement its diet with nectar, seeds and berries joining flocks of other babblers  and foraging from the canopy down to the forest floor.

Breeding (March-August)

Both male and female bar-throated minias contribute to nest building,  egg incubation and chick rearing.  The nest is made of leaves, bark and lichen and located in a small tree or bush one and a half to three metres above the ground. The tree bark is fashioned into a cup shape and the lichen is used on the exterior making it both strong and well camouflaged. Both parents also incubate two to four blue or blue-green eggs and share the raising of the chicks.