LC
Silver-eared Mesia Leiothrix argentauris



Taxonomy

Taxonomic note
Leiothrix argentauris and L. laurinae (del Hoyo and Collar 2016) were previously lumped as L. argentauris following Sibley & Monroe (1990, 1993).

Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A., Fishpool, L.D.C., Boesman, P. and Kirwan, G.M. 2016. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 2: Passerines. Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.

IUCN Red List criteria met and history
Red List criteria met
Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable
- - -

Red List history
Year Category Criteria
2016 Least Concern
2012 Not Recognised
2008 Not Recognised
2004 Not Recognised
2000 Not Recognised
1994 Not Recognised
1988 Not Recognised
Species attributes

Migratory status not a migrant Forest dependency medium
Land-mass type Average mass -
Range

Estimate Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) 5,770,000 km2 medium
Severely fragmented? no -
Population
Estimate Data quality Derivation Year of estimate
Population size unknown - - -
Population trend decreasing - suspected -
Generation length 5.6 years - - -

Population justification: The global population size has not been quantified, but the species is described as generally common, although locally rare in Nepal (del Hoyo et al. 2007).

Trend justification: The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction and fragmentation.


Country/territory distribution
Country/Territory Presence Origin Resident Breeding visitor Non-breeding visitor Passage migrant
Bangladesh extinct native yes
Bhutan extant native yes
Cambodia extant native yes
China (mainland) extant native yes
India extant native yes
Laos extant native yes
Malaysia extant native yes
Myanmar extant native yes
Nepal extant native yes
Thailand extant native yes
Vietnam extant native yes

Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Country/Territory IBA Name

Habitats & altitude
Habitat (level 1) Habitat (level 2) Importance Occurrence
Artificial/Terrestrial Plantations suitable resident
Forest Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland suitable resident
Forest Subtropical/Tropical Moist Montane major resident
Shrubland Subtropical/Tropical High Altitude suitable resident
Shrubland Subtropical/Tropical Moist suitable resident
Altitude   Occasional altitudinal limits (max) 2600 m

Utilisation
Purpose Scale
Food - human subsistence, national

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Silver-eared Mesia Leiothrix argentauris. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/silver-eared-mesia-leiothrix-argentauris on 22/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 22/12/2024.