Birds · Passeriformes · Cisticolidae

Common Tailorbird

Orthotomus sutorius

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The common tailorbird is a tiny bird, olive green above and cream below, with a reddish forehead and a long tail that it holds upright. It is extremely abundant in gardens and farmland across southern Asia. It owes its name to the extraordinary way it builds its nest: it literally sews the edges of one or more large leaves together with plant fibre or cobweb, and inside the resulting cup it builds the nest proper.

Weight

6 g – 10 g

Size

10 cm – 14 cm

Lifespan

6 years

Diet

Insectivore

Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

In pairs

Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

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Fun facts

GeneralIt stitches leaves together with plant fibre, using its bill as a needle, to build its nest.
It really does sew: it pierces the edges of a large leaf with its bill and threads plant fibre or strands of cobweb through the holes, finishing each stitch with a knot or a thickening so that it will not pull free. The result is a closed pouch in which it builds the nest.
Rudyard Kipling immortalised it as Darzee, the tailorbird who accompanies Rikki-Tikki-Tavi in The Jungle Book.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Scrub, gardens, hedgerows, crops and forest edges of southern and South-East Asia
Sexual maturity: 12 months
Gestation / incubation: 12 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 3 eggs

Sources consulted: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_tailorbird