silver eared MESIA
silver eared MASIA 
the silver eared MASIA (LEIOTHRIX ARGENTAURIS) is a species of bird from south east Asia . beautiful small babbler with a black head , bright silver ears , orange underparts , and a bright red wing patch , travels in noisy flocks through hill and Sub montane forest , sometimes in single - species groups and occasionally with other species . unfortunately a common target of the cage bird trade , and escapees are often seen outside of there native range . in some areas such as HONG KONG , they have even established self sustaining populations . warbled song often given as birds move around in flocks. taxonomy and distribution the species was once placed in the large old world BOBBLER family TIMALIIDAE , but that family has recently been split with the laughingthrushes in the new family LEIOTHRICHIDAE .the species is sometimes placed in its own genus MASIA , or in the genus LEIOTHRIX with the red billed LEIOTHRIX . there are seven described subspecies, with considerable variation in plumage between them . further research is needed to establish if this represent a single species or not . the species is generally resident although it has been reported as a winter migrant to NAMERI national park in Assam , India , which implies that the species may be an altitudinal migrant . the species has been introduced to HONG KONG from captive stock derived from caged birds.
Diet
the diet of the silver eared MESIA is dominated by insects and their larvae , as well as fruit and to a lesser extent seeds . a study of the diet of feral birds in HONG KONG found that 87% of the faecal samples studied had the remains on insects in them , and 97% had the remain of fruit . the species will often associate in large groups of up to thirty individuals while foraging . and even forms groups during the breeding season . they will also join large flocks of other species in the forest , known as waves , which include other species of babblers . they generally feed closer to the ground , but may go as high as 5 meters up into the canopy. breeding 
the silver eared MESIA is a seasonal breeder , with the season lasting from November August , although the season starts later , in April , in the northern part of this range . both the male and female are involved in building the nest , a deep cup of bamboo and other dead leaves lined with rootlets and fern fibres . the nest takes about four days to construct and is placed near ground level or up to 2 meters up in a bush . underlying its relationship with the red - billed LEIOTHRIX the nest is said to be indistinguishable from one of that species. the eggs of silver eared MESIA are white with light but rich madder - brown spots . between two and five eggs are laid in a typical clutch . with four being the typical number in India but two or tree more common in Malaysia . both parents incubate the eggs . with (at least in captivity) the female incubating the eggs during the night . the eggs are incubated for 13 to 14 days after the laying of the first egg . both parents feed the chicks , which fledge after 12 days , and parental care lasts for a further 22 days after fledging.
the silver eared MASIA (LEIOTHRIX ARGENTAURIS) is a species of bird from south east Asia . beautiful small babbler with a black head , bright silver ears , orange underparts , and a bright red wing patch , travels in noisy flocks through hill and Sub montane forest , sometimes in single - species groups and occasionally with other species . unfortunately a common target of the cage bird trade , and escapees are often seen outside of there native range . in some areas such as HONG KONG , they have even established self sustaining populations . warbled song often given as birds move around in flocks. taxonomy and distribution the species was once placed in the large old world BOBBLER family TIMALIIDAE , but that family has recently been split with the laughingthrushes in the new family LEIOTHRICHIDAE .the species is sometimes placed in its own genus MASIA , or in the genus LEIOTHRIX with the red billed LEIOTHRIX . there are seven described subspecies, with considerable variation in plumage between them . further research is needed to establish if this represent a single species or not . the species is generally resident although it has been reported as a winter migrant to NAMERI national park in Assam , India , which implies that the species may be an altitudinal migrant . the species has been introduced to HONG KONG from captive stock derived from caged birds.
Diet
the silver eared MESIA is a seasonal breeder , with the season lasting from November August , although the season starts later , in April , in the northern part of this range . both the male and female are involved in building the nest , a deep cup of bamboo and other dead leaves lined with rootlets and fern fibres . the nest takes about four days to construct and is placed near ground level or up to 2 meters up in a bush . underlying its relationship with the red - billed LEIOTHRIX the nest is said to be indistinguishable from one of that species. the eggs of silver eared MESIA are white with light but rich madder - brown spots . between two and five eggs are laid in a typical clutch . with four being the typical number in India but two or tree more common in Malaysia . both parents incubate the eggs . with (at least in captivity) the female incubating the eggs during the night . the eggs are incubated for 13 to 14 days after the laying of the first egg . both parents feed the chicks , which fledge after 12 days , and parental care lasts for a further 22 days after fledging.
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