About Heterophasia auricularis (Swinhoe, 1864)
The white-eared sibia (Heterophasia auricularis) is an elegant, long-tailed babbler. It measures 22 to 24 cm (8.7–9.4 in) in length and has an average weight of 40–50 g (1.4–1.8 oz). Its head is black, with a noticeable white stripe running through the eye that ends in long white filamentous plumes. The wings and tail are deep blue-black, with a prominent white wingbar. The upper back and breast are dark grey, while the belly and rump are deep rufous chestnut. It has a black bill and brown-flesh coloured legs. Males and females have identical appearance, and the plumage of juvenile individuals has not been formally described. This species is endemic to the island of Taiwan, where it lives in a range of forest and woodland habitats. It is a partial altitudinal migrant: in summer, it breeds at 1,200–3,000 m (3,900–9,800 ft) above sea level, or up to 2,780 m (9,120 ft) in northern Taiwan. Some individuals move down to 700 m (2,300 ft) in winter, and may descend as low as 200 m (660 ft) during especially harsh weather. In summer, it occupies evergreen forests, including mixed broadleaf coniferous forests, and it uses deciduous forests during winter.
