Red-billed Leiothrix

The red-billed leiothrix is a species of small passerine native to Asia. It is also known as the Japanese nightingale, which is not strictly accurate as the bird is not native to the Japanese archipelago.

It is about 15 centimetres in length and weighs around 25 grams. Its plumage is a dull olive green with a yellow-orange throat, streaks of yellow and red on the edges of its wings and a red beak. Its tail is slightly forked.

It feeds on small invertebrates, insects, worms, caterpillars and berries found in the undergrowth of its forest habitat.

It has acclimatised well to other regions of the world including Japan, Hawaii and also Europe, especially the Pyrénées-Atlantiques and Picardy regions of France, along with Italy and Catalonia.

The potential impact of the red-billed leiothrix on native bird life is being closely monitored, with its immediate competitors being the robin and the Eurasian blackcap.

It has a melodious song, which is quite complex and made up of around fifteen “notes”. The species is not endangered in any way.