The Pekin Robin (Leiothrix lutea) also called Red-billed Leiothrix, Chinese or Japanese Nightingale or hill tit belongs to the Order of Passeriformes (perching birds) family of Sylviidae, tribe Timaliini , “the babblers”.
White edges on tail coverts
Males and females are basically monomorphic in their plumage. The sexual differences in the plumage and body weight ( adults 20 to 28 g ) are very slight. They may be detectable to the owner and experienced aviculturist, but sexing this species by their appearance alone is not reliable. Generally the male has a distinct white edge on the two extended upper tail coverts, which look like shorter tail feathers. The female has a relatively finer line or no white edge marking on these feathers. One must be careful not to draw conclusions if the white markings are not visible. The particular feathers may have fallen out. They seem to be not as strongly seated as the true tail feathers and birds which have been in transit may have lost them. Furthermore, some females show rather prominent white markings.
Pekin Robin keepers use another appearance clue, which is the facial patch of whitish gray around the eye region. It is more distinct in the male and stands out when looked at from a distance, while the margins are less defined in the female. This only works if one is quite familiar with the images or if both sexes can be seen side by side. Beyond this the male is slightly more colorful .
Reliably, their sex can only be established by DNA blood/tissue testing or vocalization. I have determined the sex of about 200 pekin robin and done so without fail by their song (males) and Calls (females) . To do this, the birds are placed in an enclosure by themselves out of sight of other pekin robins and soon the birds will emit contact calls to connect with their kind. Males will give a contact song of varied notes while females give a repetitive 4 to 5 note call , resembling the call of a poultry chick. Male can give this call in rare situation when frightened, but females do not sing. Because of their strong social need males have become coveted cage birds do to their extensive singing efforts to find a mate.
Listen to the Pekin Robin Male song and Female_call.
The species is highly social and in all seasons. Mutual grooming (allopreening) is as prevalent as in the proverbial love birds. Two pekin robins will readily “buddy up” and form roosting and grooming pairs. Same sex birds have been sold as true pairs on many occasion, leaving the owner wondering why they would not breed. In my situation young pekin robins would “pair” up with silver-eared mesias (Leiothrix argentauris).
A warning: Pekin robins are intensely territorial during the breeding season! Read more on this under Breeding
Pekin Robins have been popular cage birds for over 100 years. They are very colorful, fine singers, active and hardy, long lived birds which do well in human care . Their cheerful behavior and intelligence make them delightful birds to own. The species is long lived with records beyond 20 years in captivity.
Pekin Robins are very active birds. They hunt and search for insects and fruit, plus some seeds. According to their diet they can be placed in the insectivore / frugivore group of birds also called softbills. The Pekin Robin is a typical soft-bill bird in the context of aviculture and requires corresponding diets and care differing from seed eaters, such as finches, sparrows, quails, doves and psittacines. This is an important point to accommodate the dietary and behavioral needs in the daily care routine. Pekin Robins must have a varied diet with live insect supplements, particularly for the breeding of this species. Pekin Robins can be observed picking up “finch” seeds, however husked seeds are not suitable as a primary source of food. Pekin Robins can not shell seeds and do not have a crop like seed-eaters to aid pre-digestion, or a very muscular stomach, containing grit, to break down the seeds to digest them effectively. A Pekin Robin may pick up some seeds, but passes them through for the most part and would in time starve to death, unable to obtain enough nutrition. Breeding them on a seed diet is out of the question.
Pekin Robins live in the underbrush of mountain forests with small clearings and creeks. They will also visit cultivated lands such as gardens and fruit plantations to search for food. Their natural behavior results in relatively long periods of food gathering interrupted with short rest periods.
A good simulated bush habitat
To accommodate this and to enjoy observing their fascinating behavior we must provide them with larger enclosures with a simulated bush habitat. Pekin Robins and most other soft-bill birds usually make a pitiful display in barren, small conventional cages. They are prone to acquire stereotypical behavior by going through a short, constantly repeated routine of movements and often damage their otherwise splendid plumage, which they keep in immaculate condition in a suitable environment.
Pekin Robins live on the southern slopes of the western Himalayan mountains in Kashmir to the east of China, south to Myanmar. They can be found in mountain forests to an elevation of 2700 m, which makes this species relatively hardy for an “exotic” cage bird. Pekin Robins can tolerate subfreezing temperatures, provided they have been conditioned to the proper sequence of seasonal changes and that they have a partially covered and a wind protected shelter. They must always have access to unfrozen food and water. Birds easily perish if they do not have water and food available to them for more than 24 hours.
Ideally their outside aviary is connected to an indoor shelter which has temperatures above freezing. The food is offered in this space to habituate the birds to come inside so that they can be locked in if particularly windy, wet and cold weather is predicted. Cold weather causes additional stress to a bird in marginal condition, during molt, following a demanding breeding season, and, of course while fighting any form of illness. There is no incentive to establish durability records. I bring the birds into protected shelter if outside temperatures drop below –5C. Nonetheless, the climatic tolerance allows us to create a well planted, unheated outdoor habitat aviary for the birds, which is inexpensive to construct and maintain.
The creation of a close to nature aviary habitat can be looked at as an art form in itself, one that is aesthetically rewarding, educational, entertaining to the observer, and highly beneficial to the well-being of the birds. A natural well planted environment of sufficient size makes regular cleaning and maintenance a small task since the proportioned amount of space per bird is relatively great. This is important as it eliminates disturbances during the nesting period.
