Kingdom Animalia Order Passeriformes Genus Cholornis Higher classification Cholornis | Phylum Chordata Family Sylviidae Scientific name Cholornis unicolor Rank Species | |
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Similar Great parrotbill, Fulvous parrotbill, Black‑throated parrotbill, Three‑toed parrotbill, Golden‑breasted fulvetta | ||
Brown parrotbill
The brown parrotbill (Cholornis unicolor) is a parrotbill found in the central and eastern Himalayas. It has earlier been called a brown suthora.
This is a 17–19 cm long grey brown bird with a long tail and a characteristic small yellowish parrot-like bill. A dark stripe runs above the eyes and along the sides of the crown. They move in small groups and will sometimes join mixed species foraging flocks. It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal.
Originally described by Brian Houghton Hodgson in the genus Hemirhynchus this species was later included in the genus Heteromorpha. They are now usually treated as members of the family Paradoxornithidae within which its closes relative is the three-toed parrotbill. Subspecies canaster described by Thayer and Bangs in 1912 from Hsikang and saturatior described by Rothschild in 1921 froom Yunnan are generally not considered valid.