Photo: Amado Bajarias Jr. / CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Black-headed Tailorbird
Orthotomus nigriceps
Black-headed Tailorbird (Orthotomus nigriceps) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South & Southeast Asia.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Black-headed Tailorbird (Orthotomus nigriceps) is a member of the Cisticolidae family found in South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 9.8 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Cisticolidae Cisticolas & Allies
- Genus Orthotomus
- Species nigriceps
Quick facts
- Weight
- 9.8 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Cisticolidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black-headed Tailorbird is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Black-headed Tailorbird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Black-headed Tailorbird (Orthotomus nigriceps) belongs to the Cisticolidae family of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR e Mindanao group (s Philippines).
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 9.8 g, with a wing length of about 5.2 cm and a tail of around 4.8 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 24,000 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black-headed Tailorbird?
The Black-headed Tailorbird is a very small bird that weighs around 9.8 g.
Where does the Black-headed Tailorbird live?
The Black-headed Tailorbird is found across South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR e Mindanao group (s Philippines), where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Black-headed Tailorbird belong to?
The Black-headed Tailorbird (Orthotomus nigriceps) belongs to the Cisticolidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Black-headed Tailorbird eat?
The Black-headed Tailorbird is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Black-headed Tailorbird migrate?
The Black-headed Tailorbird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Black-headed Tailorbird endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
How large is the Black-headed Tailorbird's range?
The Black-headed Tailorbird has a mapped global range of about 24,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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