THE



Avicultural Magazine


THE JOURNAL OF THE

AVICULTURAL SOCIETY



Fifth Series .—VoL III.—No. 8 .—All rights reserved. AUGUST, 1938.



THE SHORT-BILLED MINIVET


(.Pericrocotus crevirostris)


Minivets are strikingly beautiful birds, and everyone who has

lived or travelled in Northern India, Burma, China, Indo-China, or the

Malay countries has noticed the marvellous flocks of brilliantly

coloured birds flying high or feeding in trees. They are usually common

enough in jungle and open country with numerous trees, which are

essential to their life.


There are a good many species, most of them scarlet, pink, or

orange with black bands, and black tails and wings in the males,

yellow and grey in the hens. A few are black, white, and grey.


The commonest Indian and Indo-Chinese species is probably the

well-known Scarlet Mini vet (Pericrocotus speciosus), which is brought

over alive in small numbers almost every year. The Short-billed

Minivet, depicted on the adjoining plate, is very similar, but a great

deal smaller, rather richer in colour, with a proportionally shorter and

thinner bill. It also comes to us, but not so often, and it is not so

common as the larger species in the wild state, although by no

means rare.


I have possessed the Short-billed Minivet on two or three occasions.


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