Grey-bellied Tesia

The grey-bellied tesia is a minute, almost tailless-looking forest bird, only about 9–10 centimetres long. It has olive-green upperparts, grey underparts and a narrow pale greenish eyebrow, with relatively long legs suited to movement close to the ground. Its compact shape and quick, mouse-like progress through dark undergrowth are characteristic, but it is far more often detected by its penetrating calls than watched for long (BirdForum Opus).

Its range follows the Himalayas through southern China and Indochina, including the Cardamom and Annamite mountain systems. Grey-bellied tesias favour thick undergrowth in moist montane broadleaf forest, often above roughly 1,000 metres. They forage mostly at or just above ground level, turning among leaf litter and low stems for spiders, ants and other small invertebrates. Dense vegetation and secretive behaviour can make even calling birds difficult to see (Wikipedia; BirdForum Opus; Thai species account).