Common Tailorbird
Orthotomus sutorius
The Common Tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius) is a common cisticola found in 18 countries, weighing about 8 g. The common tailorbird is a songbird found across tropical Asia.
About the Common Tailorbird
The common tailorbird is a songbird found across tropical Asia. Popular for its nest made of leaves "sewn" together and immortalized by Rudyard Kipling as Darzee in his Jungle Book, it is a common resident in urban gardens. Although shy birds that are usually hidden within vegetation, their loud calls are familiar and give away their presence. They are distinctive in having a long upright tail, greenish upper body plumage and rust coloured forehead and crown. This passerine bird is typically found in open farmland, scrub, forest edges and gardens. Tailorbirds get their name from the way their nest is constructed. The edges of a large leaf are pierced and sewn together with plant fibre or…
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The common tailorbird is a brightly coloured bird, with bright green upperparts and creamy underparts. They range in size from 10 to 14 centimetres (3.9 to 5.5 in) and weigh 6 to 10 grams (0.21 to 0.35 oz). They have short rounded wings, a long tail, strong legs and a sharp bill with curved tip to the upper mandible. They are wren-like with a long upright tail that is often moved around. The crown is rufous and the upperparts are predominantly olive green. The underside is creamy white.
What the Common Tailorbird sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Taiwan.
When to see it
The Common Tailorbird can be seen all year round, with peak activity in February. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Common Tailorbird?
- The common tailorbird is a brightly coloured bird, with bright green upperparts and creamy underparts. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Common Tailorbird?
- The Common Tailorbird is a tiny sized bird weighing about 8 g.
- Where can you see a Common Tailorbird?
- The Common Tailorbird occurs in 18 countries, including India, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong SAR China and Nepal.
- What does a Common Tailorbird sound like?
- You can listen to 3 field recordings of the Common Tailorbird on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Common Tailorbird?
- The Common Tailorbird is most easily confused with the Dark-necked Tailorbird, the Ashy Tailorbird and the Rufous-tailed Tailorbird.
- Is the Common Tailorbird endangered?
- The Common Tailorbird is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Common Tailorbird for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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