Himalayan cutia

Himalayan cutia
From Khangchendzonga National Park, West Sikkim, India.
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Leiothrichidae
Genus:	Cutia
Species:	C. nipalensis
Binomial name
Cutia nipalensis Hodgson, 1837
Synonyms
Cutia nipalensis nipalensis Hodgson, 1837

The Himalayan cutia (Cutia nipalensis) is a bird species in the family Leiothrichidae. Its scientific name ultimately means "the khutya from Nepal", as Cutia is derived from the Nepali name for these birds, and nipalensis is Latin for "from Nepal".^[2]

From Neora Valley National Park, West Bengal, India.

This species inhabits the Himalayan region, from India to northern Thailand. A subspecies also occurs in Peninsular Malaysia. Previously the genus Cutia was monotypic, but the Vietnamese cutia, for long lumped with the Himalayan birds as subspecies, has been recently raised to full species status as C. legalleni.^[3]

A flock consisting of two males (♂) and a female (♀) from Neora Valley National Park in West Bengal, India.

Its natural habitat are tropical to subtropical humid montane forests. It is not a bird of the high mountains however, rather inhabiting broadleaf forest – e.g. of oaks (Quercus) – of the foothills upwards of 1,500 m ASL or so, but rarely if ever ascending above 2,500 m ASL.^[4]

From Mizoram, India.

The Himalayan cutia is not considered threatened by the IUCN, retaining its pre-split status as a Species of Least Concern; in Bhutan for example it is a fairly frequently seen resident.^[5]

Footnotes

1. BirdLife International (2013). "Cutia nipalensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
2. Pittie (2004)
3. BLI (2008a,b,c)
4. Inskipp et al. (2000), Collar & Robson (2007)
5. Inskipp et al. (2000), IUCN (2007), BLI (2008a,b,c)

References

• BirdLife International (BLI) (2008a) Himalayan Cutia Species Factsheet. Retrieved 2008-MAY-27.
• BirdLife International (BLI) (2008b): [2008 IUCN Redlist status changes]. Retrieved 2008-MAY-23.
• Collar, N.J. & Robson, Craig (2007): Family Timaliidae (Babblers). In: del Hoyo, Josep; Elliott, Andrew & Christie, D.A. (eds.): Handbook of Birds of the World, Volume 12 (Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees): 70-291. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
• Inskipp, Carol; Inskipp, Tim & Sherub (2000): The ornithological importance of Thrumshingla National Park, Bhutan. Forktail 14: 147-162. PDF fulltext
• International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) (2007): 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN, Gland.
• Pittie, Aasheesh (2004): A dictionary of scientific bird names originating from the Indian region. Buceros: ENVIS Newsletter Avian Ecology & Inland Wetlands 9(2): 1-30. PDF fulltext