About Yuhina brunneiceps Ogilvie-Grant, 1906
The Taiwan yuhina (Yuhina brunneiceps Ogilvie-Grant, 1906) measures 12–13 cm (4.7–5.1 in) in length. It has a chocolate brown crest and a black beard stripe that extends downward from its beak. Its back, wings, and tail are dark ash brown, and its lower breast is a lighter shade. While it matches the general body form of other typical yuhinas, its unique color pattern makes it quite distinct within its genus. This species lives in hill forests at elevations between 1,000–3,200 m (3,300–10,500 ft) above sea level, and is most abundant between 1,500–2,500 m (4,900–8,200 ft). Individuals may move down to lower altitudes during winter. The Taiwan yuhina is gregarious, active, and fairly tame. It stays in the lower sections of forests and often joins other species, especially tits, to form mixed flocks. While feeding, these flocks produce constant soft chatter. Its call sounds somewhat like twi-MI-chiu, which resembles the phrase "We MEET you". Its diet is made up mainly of nectar, berries, flowers, and small insects. It can sometimes be seen hanging upside down on cherry trees. These songbirds are especially fond of the flowers of the Chinese tulip tree, and the fruits of trees in the family Elaeagnaceae and the genus Idesia (Salicaceae). Data from a population in Nantou County shows that during the breeding season, the diet is mostly composed of nectar and fruits of Taiwan cherry (Prunus campanulata), fruits of eastern debregeasia (Debregeasia orientalis), and nectar from the mistletoe Taxillus lonicerifolius. The breeding season for the Taiwan yuhina runs from May to June.
