Silver-eared Mesia (Leiothrix argentauris) [XC614058]
by Jelle Scharringa from , Myanmar (song)
Silver-eared Mesia (Leiothrix argentauris) [XC770291]
by Dave Guo from , China (alarm call, call)
Subspecies
Probably fairly close to Siva and Leiothrix. Commonly placed in latter genus. Geographical variation considerable, and extremes of range very distinct. Further study of species limits perhaps required. Subspecies vernayi (north-western Assam, northern Myanmar and western Yunnan) and aureigularis (southern Assam, western Myanmar) provisionally included in nominate.
The following 10 subspecies are recognised:
argentauris (Hodgson, 1837) - Eastern Uttaranchal Pradesh east to Bhutan, north-eastern Indian hill states, northern and western Myanmar and adjacent southern China (south-eastern Xizang, western and north-western Yunnan).
galbana (Mayr & Greenway, 1938) - Eastern and south-eastern Myanmar (including Tenasserim) and northern and western Thailand.
ricketti (La Touche, 1923) - Southern China (southern and south-eastern Yunnan, southern Guizhou, south-western Guangxi), northern and central Laos and northern Vietnam (Tonkin and northern Annam).
cunhaci (Robinson & Kloss, 1919) - Southern Laos, Vietnam (central and southern Annam) and adjacent eastern Cambodia.
tahanensis (Yen, 1934) - Southern Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia.
rookmakeri (Junge, 1948) - Northern Sumatra.
laurinae Salvadori, 1879 - Sumatra (except north). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Sumatran Mesia (Leiothrix laurinae).
aureigularis (Koelz, 1953) - Southern Assam (southern of the Brahmaputra) and south-western Myanmar (Chin Hills).
vernayi (Mayr & Greenway, 1938) - North-eastern Assam to northern Myanmar and southern China (western Yunnan).
rubrogularis (Kinnear, 1925) - Southern China (south-eastern Yunnan and Guangxi).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet