Vertebrate fauna of SE Asia
  

 

   
Home  
——————————  
SE Asia fauna ...  
   
Primates
 Carnivorans
 Large Mammals
 Small Mammals
 Mammal calls
 Bats
—————
Birds
—————
 Snakes
 Lizards & Crocodilians
 Turtles
—————
 Amphibians
 Tadpoles
 Frog calls
—————
Freshwater Fishes
 Marine & Brackish Fishes
—————
Species Lists
 





 


 
——————————  
SE Asia Vert Records (SEAVR) ...  
   
Philippines Records
  Indochina Records
  Indonesia & PNG Records
 
——————————  
New Guinea herptiles ...  
Snakes   Lizards   Frogs  
——————————  
   
  New or updated pages ...
 
 
     
 
     
 
     
 
——————————  
 

Search this site ...

 
 


   

 
  ——————————  
 

Links :
My wife, Sophia's website ... super-healthy, vegan delights :
Vegan-Inspired.com

 
  ——————————  
 


Email :


Text and photos by Nick Baker, unless otherwise credited.
Copyright © Ecology Asia 2023

 
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

   
   
 
Ioras
   
   

Fig 1 : Common Iora - male
 

Fig 2 : Common Iora - male
 

Fig 3 : Common Iora - male
 

Fig 4 : Common Iora - female
  

Fig 5 : Common Iora - female
  

 

 

 

 

Ioras comprise the family Aegithinidae, of which there are just four species. They occur mainly in lowland tropical forests and sometimes mangrove. The Common Iora Aegithina tiphia, has adapted well to parks and gardens.

They are small, sparrow-sized birds with short bills and short, thin legs and a short tail. The plumage of the various species comprises a mix of yellow, green and black. Males are brightly coloured, especially during the breeding season, and females more plain.

These birds are mainly active in the treetops, sometimes descending to mid-canopy level, but rarely to low-level or ground. Typically the male can be heard calling from the highest branch of a tree - the call comprises a variety of melodic whistles.

Their food prey includes insects and spiders. Their cup-shaped nests are constructed from dried grasses, held together with spider webs : these are discretely located in the high branches of leafy trees.

Three of the species of iora occur in Southeast Asia, and the other is confined to the Indian subcontinent.


Figs 1 to 3:
Common Iora - male (breeding colours)
Aegithina tiphia
Location : Portsdown, Singapore.
Habitat : Secondary forest

Notes :
Fig 1 : The Common Iora is mainly active in the treetops, rarely coming to ground level.

Fig 2 : Insects comprise the main food source of ioras.

Fig 3 : Gathering spider webs, which are used to bind together other nesting material, mainly grasses.

Figs 4 and 5 :
Common Iora - female
Aegithina tiphia
Location : Neo Tiew, Singapore.
Habitat : Secondary scrub forest