Cutia nipalensis Hodgson, 1837

Taxonomic Classification

The Himalayan cutia (Cutia nipalensis) is a bird species belonging to the family Leiothrichidae. Its scientific name ultimately translates to "the khutya from Nepal": the genus name Cutia comes from the Nepali name for these birds, while nipalensis is Latin for "from Nepal".

Geographic Range

This species lives in the Himalayan region, ranging from India to northern Thailand. One of its subspecies is also found in Peninsular Malaysia.

Genus Taxonomic History

The genus Cutia was previously considered to contain only this single species. For a long time, the Vietnamese cutia was grouped together with the Himalayan cutia as a subspecies, but it has recently been recognized as a full separate species under the name C. legalleni.

Habitat Type

The natural habitat of the Himalayan cutia is tropical to subtropical humid montane forests.

Elevation Range and Substrate

It does not live in high mountains; instead, it inhabits broadleaf forests, such as oak (Quercus) forests, from the foothills starting around 1,500 meters above sea level, and rarely if ever goes above 2,500 meters ASL.

Conservation Status

The IUCN does not consider the Himalayan cutia a threatened species. It retains its pre-split classification as a Species of Least Concern, and for example, it is a fairly frequently seen resident in Bhutan.