Black-throated Parrotbill (Suthora nipalensis) [XC355144]
by Langur Eco Travels, bhutanbiridngtours.com from Doi Inthanon National Park, Km 34.5 Trail, Thailand (call)
Black-throated Parrotbill (Suthora nipalensis) [XC158068]
by Frank Lambert from Mishmi, rd up to Muyudia c1500-1700m, Arunachal Pradesh, India (call)
Subspecies
Sometimes placed together with Spectacled Parrotbill (Sinosuthora conspicillata), Vinous-throated Parrotbill (Sinosuthora webbiana), Brown-winged Parrotbill (Sinosuthora brunnea), Ashy-throated Parrotbill (Sinosuthora alphonsiana), Grey-hooded Parrotbill (Sinosuthora zappeyi), Rusty-throated Parrotbill (Sinosuthora przewalskii), Fulvous Parrotbill (Suthora fulvifrons), Golden Parrotbill (Suthora verreauxi) and Pale-billed Parrotbill (Chleuasicus atrosuperciliaris) in a separate genus, Suthora. Has in the past been considered conspecific with Golden Parrotbill (Suthora verreauxi), but is very distinct morphologically. Subspecies craddocki of that species has erroneously been listed for present species by some authors. Subspecies distinctive, and may represent more than one species. A simple division according to basic plumage differences would support treatment of nominate subspecies and garhwalensis as one species, with four other species represented by, respectively, humii, poliotis (with feae), ripponi (with patriciae), and beaulieui (with kamoli). Subspecies crocotius perhaps better treated as a semi-stable hybrid population; typical specimens are from Yonpu La (eastern Bhutan) and Shakti (extreme western Arunachal Pradesh, in north-eastern India), but one from Yonpu La shows slightly closer resemblance to humii than do the others, and specimens from Deothang (south of Yonpu La) have more grey on ear-coverts, suggestive of poliotis.
Proposed subspecies daflaensis (from Dafla Hills, in north-eastern India) currently synonymized with poliotis, but specimens appear to show signs of intergradation towards latter, rather than being identical with it. Further study is required. Birds observed in north-eastern Thailand (Phu Lang) and southern Laos of uncertain racial identity and presumed to belong with, respectively, beaulieui and kamoli, but corroboration needed.
The following 10 subspecies are recognised:
garhwalensis (Fleming, RL & Traylor, 1964) - Uttaranchal Pradesh (north-eastern Garhwal and Almora), in northern India.
nipalensis (Hodgson, 1837) - Western and central Nepal.
humii Sharpe, 1883 - Eastern Nepal east to Bhutan (east to Shemgang).
crocotius Kinnear, 1954 - Eastern Bhutan (Yonpu La, Deothang) and adjacent north-eastern India (Shakti, in extreme western Arunachal Pradesh).
poliotis Blyth, 1851 - Arunachal Pradesh (eastern from R Dihang, at least) southern in north-eastern India to northern Manipur, southern Assam (Cachar) and Khasi Hills, east to western and northern Myanmar and southern China (north-western Yunnan).
patriciae Koelz, 1954 - Mizoram, in north-eastern India.
ripponi Sharpe, 1905 - Chin Hills (except northern part), in western Myanmar.
feae Salvadori, 1889 - Eastern and southern Myanmar and western and north-western Thailand.
beaulieui (Ripley, 1953) - North-eastern Thailand (Phu Luang), northern and central Laos and Vietnam (northern Annam).
kamoli (Eames, JC, 2002) - Central Vietnam (Ngoc Linh, in central Annam) and eastern part of southern Laos.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet