3-4-2025 GOATFELL LODGE, SRI LANKA - COMMON TAILORBIRD (Orthotomus sutorius)

The common tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius) 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 spider silk to make a cradle in which the actual nest is built. Punjab tailor birds produce shiny red eggs, but became extinct around 1975 due to laying their eggs in fields used to grow fodder crops.

17-4-2023 KEN RIVERSIDE LODGE, INDIA - COMMON TAILORBIRD (Orthotomus sutorius)

 

The Common tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius ) is a songbird found across tropical Asia. These birds are popular for their nest made of leaves "sewn" together and immortalized by Rudyard Kipling as Darzee in his Jungle Book. Although shy birds that are usually hidden within vegetation, their loud calls are familiar and give away their presence. Tailor birds in Punjab used to lay shiny red eggs but became extinct about 1975 because they lay eggs in fields used to grow fodder crops.

These are brightly colored birds, with bright green upperparts and creamy underparts. They have short rounded wings, a long tail, strong legs, and a sharp bill with a 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. Their underside is creamy white. The sexes are identical, except that the male has long central tail feathers in the breeding season, although the reliability of sexing data accompanying museum specimens used in determining this sexual dimorphism has been questioned. Young birds are duller. When calling, the dark patches on the sides of the neck become visible. These are due to the dark pigmented and bare skin that is present in both sexes and sometimes gives the appearance of a dark gorget.

19-4-2024 KEN RIVERSIDE LODGE, INDIA - COMMON TAILORBIRD (Orthotomus sutorius)

The Common tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius ) is a songbird found across tropical Asia. These birds are popular for their nest made of leaves "sewn" together and immortalized by Rudyard Kipling as Darzee in his Jungle Book. Although shy birds that are usually hidden within vegetation, their loud calls are familiar and give away their presence. Tailor birds in Punjab used to lay shiny red eggs but became extinct about 1975 because they lay eggs in fields used to grow fodder crops.

These are brightly colored birds, with bright green upperparts and creamy underparts. They have short rounded wings, a long tail, strong legs, and a sharp bill with a 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. Their underside is creamy white. The sexes are identical, except that the male has long central tail feathers in the breeding season, although the reliability of sexing data accompanying museum specimens used in determining this sexual dimorphism has been questioned. Young birds are duller. When calling, the dark patches on the sides of the neck become visible. These are due to the dark pigmented and bare skin that is present in both sexes and sometimes gives the appearance of a dark gorget.