Taxonomy/Origins: Found in the Himalayas to northern S.E. Asia and out to W. China, Vietnam and Bhutan. Primary habitat seems to be rainforest between 300- 2000m. The level of knowledge about this species is incomplete however they may be altitudinal migrants moving between different zones of the forest. It appears that the subtropical hill forest and the wet temperate forest (found at higher elevations) are particularly important for many species sharing the same range as the white-naped yuhina. Outside the breeding season many of migratory birds prefer the lowland tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen rain forest.
Subspecies: There are no subspecies that I am aware of.
Plumage Colouration: Approximately 14cm in length this species is monomorphic. Like all members of the Yuhina family they have erectile crests, that go up as soon as they are excited or threatened. These birds are predominately brown overall. The back of the crest and nape of the neck are pure white. Around the beak, both upper and lower mandible going back to the eye and up into the front of the crest is black feathering. Below and behind the eye these birds have streaks of golden brown feathers looking much like someone has painted whiskers on them. The primary flight feathers are black giving a black edge to the wings when folded. The beak and legs are light in colour.
Sexing: White-naped Yuhinas are monoporthic meaning that there are no visual differences. The best indicator is behaviour, such mutual preening although i have observed pairs of the same sex doing this however it was not a frequent as with true pairs. In addition courtship behaviour such as the male feeding female is another good indicator. I would suggest that several pairs be purchased together a rung then you can release them all in the same flight and allow the birds to pair up before splitting them for breeding.
Feeding: The basis of any Yuhina diet should be a good insectivorous mix. Added to this should be a wide range of fruits, favourites being pear, mango and plum. The birds always prefer to take the fruit when it is overripe as the sugar content increases. They also get chopped egg, grated cheese and carrot. Yuhinas are highly insectivorous and should be supplied with a variety of live food. I have used mealworms, waxmoth larvae, wild caught moths and small cleaned maggots. As these birds are arboreal their feeding stations should be placed off the floor. If you have a fruit fly culture in their flight then place some greenery above the culture for the flies to hide in and the birds will spend lots of time hunting through it for the flies. If breeding is the aim then lots of live food should be provided. Yuhinas are also partially to nectar or sugared water, but if you provide this do not do so in an open containers as they may bath in it.
Housing: When the birds were first acquired they were moved into a large internal flight cage where they stayed for 2 months before being moved to outside quarters. I would suggest that if birds are to be kept inside for an extended period that they be given at the very least triple breeders as they are very active. Also it would be a good idea to provide some natural perching as the birds always enjoy investigating this. Due to their diet being fairly messy I would change these perches on a regular basis. Also bathing facilities should be provided as they absolutely love to bath. If serious breeding is to be attempted it is best to provide these birds with a well planted aviary.
Breeding: I believe that with the current numbers within British aviculture dwindling due to lack of imports it is every keepers&Mac226; duty to try and breed these birds. They are not particularly difficult to breed and with a little effort on our part we can take a significant step forward to establishing them. Breeding birds should be housed on their own for best results. When these birds have nested successfully they have always built their own nests, shunning those boxes and wicker baskets that were provided. The nest is built out of fine coconut fibre and animal hair along with any spiders webs that can be found in the aviary. The hen bird does the majority of the incubating, sitting very tight, often being fed live food by the cock bird. Throughout the incubation the female bird never seems to be bothered about my presence around the aviary. The eggs were a pale green with rust coloured spotting. I would estimate the incubation period to be around the 14 day mark. Both !
parents fed almost any type of live food that was offered during this time (mealworms, small waxmoth larvae, adult moths, small crickets). They spent a considerable amount of time on or around the compost heap either looking for food on it or catching any flies that where attracted by the heap. The young left the nest at a fairly early stage about 13 days after hatching. During this time they spent much of the time hidden in the dense bushes calling whenever they saw their parents. The young at this time looked very similar in colouration to their parents having the distinct white nape. After a further 6 days the hen built a new nest again in the Rhododendron, and starting sitting again. During this time the cock continued to feed the young and still found time to bring food to the hen. The young were removed after another week as the cock began to become hostile towards them although never attacking. Unfortunately this second nest wasn&Mac226;t built as well as the first and fell out of the bush, the birds didn't attempt to nest again this season.
Hints/tips: These birds are absolutely fascinating aviary subjects and well worth the attention of both the novice and experienced fancier alike. They are very social and I have never observed them to be aggressive with any other species that they have been housed with. Their constant active nature makes them a joy to watch in an aviary surrounding, one of their most attractive traits is when they bath in the foliage after it has been sprayed. These birds (along with others in the family) represent a great species that with a little co-ordinated breeding and commitment would, I am sure, become established in U.K. aviculture.
Unique Characteristics: These birds are suitable for a beginner in softbills, but equally provide challenge in establishing them within aviculture that should keep the expert softbill keeper interested as well.
Feel free to get in touch with any further questions. You can contact me via the FF Forum my username is 'Matt Walters'.
