Although the silver-eared mesia isn’t a well-known bird, its gorgeous plumage is incredibly similar to that of autumn.
It prefers cool, damp tropical woods, including plantations and gardens, with broadleaf trees or mixed vegetation.
Ideally some sort of mixed vegetation to provide excellent insect habitat as well as a wide range of fruits.
Hardy and tough, they like to stay at higher elevations even in the winter.
They can be found all year round from Nepal to southern China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Malaysia in appropriate habitats.
Because of its bright plumage, this bird is popular in the pet trade, and is therefore vulnerable to poaching, with escaped birds posing a threat if it’s far from their native habitat.
The silver-eared mesia is a riot of reds, yellows, and oranges with a touch of green and brown, truly a stunning bird with all of these seasonal colors.
Distinct subspecies have somewhat different color variations, but they’re all equally lovely with their autumn hues.
They are rather widespread across their habitat, although because they prefer woodlands and higher altitudes, they may be harder to locate.
They do, however, frequently come to feeders where fruits, seeds, and mealworms are supplied in some regions.
Fortunately, they are also sociable, and if one silver-eared mesia is sighted, others are likely to be close, unless they are in particularly scarce or remote locations, in which case all birds are more solitary.
