The Common Tailorbird is a songbird found across tropical Asia. Popular for its nest made of leaves sewn together. It is a common resident in urban gardens. Although shy birds that are usually hidden within vegetation, their loud calls are familiar and give away their presence. They are distinctive in having a greenish upper body plumage, long upright tail and the rust coloured forehead and crown.
These 15cm long warblers are brightly coloured, with bright green upperparts and whitish underparts. They have short rounded wings, a long tail, strong legs and a sharp bill with curved tip to the upper mandible. They are wren-like with a long upright tail that is often moved around. The crown is rufous and the upperparts are predominantly olive green. The underside is creamy white. The male and female are identical, except that the male has long central tail feathers in the breeding season. Young birds are duller. While calling; the dark patches on the sides of the neck become visible. These are due to the dark pigmented and bare skin that are present in both male and female and sometimes give the appearance of a dark gorget.
This Common Tailor bird is typically found in open farmland, scrub, forest edges and gardens. Tailorbirds get their name from the way their nest is constructed. The edges of a large leaf are pierced and sewn together with plant fibre or spider silk to make a cradle in which the actual nest is built.
