Gray-cheeked Fulvetta

Alcippe morrisonia morrisonia

Endemic subspecies

The Gray-cheeked Fulvetta is a small (12 cm), active bird with olive-brown upperparts, a gray head and buffy underparts.  It has a conspicuous wide white eye-ring, a black iris, gray bill and pinkish legs.  Sexes are alike.  The differences between the Taiwan race morrisonia and the adjacent mainland race hueti are very small, and the distinct status of the Taiwan subspecies is therefore questionable.

Gray-cheeked Fulvettas reside in forests and groves from low elevations to upper mountain slopes.  They feed mainly on insects, and occasionally on berries, foraging mostly in the lower to mid levels of the forest, and to a lesser extent in the upper levels.  The call is described as a hoarse “chi chi chi”, though in the breeding season their song is a sweeter whistling “ji-ju ji-ju”, usually followed by a long squeaking note.  The Gray-cheeked Fulvetta is a noisy, inquisitive bird which is often found in mixed-species flocks with babblers, yuhinas and tits outside of the breeding season.

The breeding season for Gray-cheeked Fulvettas lasts from April to June.  Their nests, located in trees, are built of various plant materials including leaves, bark and mosses.  The Gray-cheeked Fulvetta is a common resident of Taiwan year-round, and in winter is readily found at elevations below 2,500 m.

References:  A Field Guide to the Birds of China (Mackinnon and Phillipps);  The Complete Guide to Birds in Taiwan (Jin-yuan Wang); 100 Common Birds of Taiwan (Wild Bird Society of Taipei); N. J. Collar, “Endemic subspecies of Taiwan birds—first impressions”, in Birding ASIA, Number 2, December 2004