Pale-billed Parrotbill

The pale-billed parrotbill is a small, round bird with a short tail, about 14–15 cm long, recognised by its fat appearance, short tail and colour scheme, with a pinkish bill, a dark brown tail and bright brown or red-brown irises. It was first found in China, where it still lives in evergreen forest and bamboo habitats, and is also found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand in subtropical or tropical moist lowland regions (Wikipedia, general species account).

It has a simple, repetitive call, and flocks create a chorus that helps birds keep in contact in dense forest. It is an omnivore that feeds on small seeds, fruits, nectar, beetles, grasshoppers and spiders. The breeding season in India lasts from April to July, with eggs laid within 2 m of the ground among clusters of twigs growing from bamboo nodes or attached to reeds. SoIB 2023 rates it a Moderate conservation priority, a resident forest bird with a Restricted range of about 11,300 km² and insufficient data on trends (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).