Hacking Minivet identification in Vietnam which pictures

I'm suddenly remember about some of my first birding trip. It took me a lot of time to ID the birds. Especially the Minivets, they look similar to me that time. So I think this post will help who newbies easy to id them. It may also help for some birder to study them before start the birding trip in Vietnam. So let’s see

In Vietnam, up to now 8 Minivets have been recorded which is: 

Ashy Minivet (Pericrocotus divaricatus)

Brown-rumped Minivet (Pericrocotus cantonensis)

Rosy Minivet (Pericrocotus roseus)

Grey-chinned Minivet (Pericrocotus solaris)

Long-tailed Minive (Pericrocotus ethologus)

Scarlet Minivet (Pericrocotus flammeus)

Short-billed Minivet (Pericrocotus brevirostris)

Small Minivet (Pericrocotus cinnamomeus) 

All the birds have long tail with almost color are Red, Yellow and Black in strong bright except Ashy Minivet just Black & White. They mostly feed on insects on the canopy of the forest some time get down to ground level. They are normally working on group with other birds and usually not in some fixed location. 

1. Ashy Minivet (Pericrocotus divaricatus) 18.5 – 20 cm

Male: Black head, whitish fore-crown/underpart, grey rump/uppertail-coverts.

Female: Pale grey above; blackish stripe across forehead

Sound: Ascending tchu-de tchu-dee-dee tchu-dee-dee in flight

2. Brown-rumped Minivet or Swinhoe’s Minivet (Pericrocotus cantonensis) 19 cm

Male: Grey hindcrown, white behind eyes, browner above than Ashy, pale brownish rump, vinous-brownish wash below; pale yellowish-buff wing-patch (or none)

Female: Paler above; yellowish-buff wing-patch (if present)

3. Rosy Minivet (Pericrocotus roseus) 18 -19.5 cm

Male: Greyish above, red on rump/wing/tail, largely pinkish below.

Female: Red replaced by pale yellow

4. Small Minivet (Pericrocotus cinnamomeus) 14.5 – 16 cm

Male: Grey above, darker face/throat, reddish-orange rump/flanks, orange-yellow vent, orange and yellow wing-path

Female: Paler/duller above, greyish-white throat/breast, pale yellow below.

Voice: Very thin, drawn-out, high tswee-eet and swee swee…

5. Grey-chinned Minivet (Pericrocotus solaris) 17 – 19 cm

Male: Dark grey above, yellowish-olive tint on throat, redder orange parts.

Female: Greyish-white throat, olive cast below, more olive rump.

Voice: Thin tswee-seet and more slurred swirrririt

6. Long-tailed Minivet (Pericrocotus ethologus) 17.5 – 20 cm

Male: Black with red rump and uppertail-coverts, underparts, wing-patch and outertail

Female: Grey above, yellow parts slightly orange-tinged, yellower forehead/cheeks upper throat, may have forerown and tail like short-billed.

7. Short-billed Minivet (Pericrocotus brevirostris) 17.5 – 19.5 cm

Male: Like long tailed but only single red line extends from wing-patch, more red on outertail feathers, black throat extends lower.

Female: Like long tailed but forehead golden-yellow, forecrown washed yellow, mantle greyer, throat yellow, more yellow on outertail

Voice: Very thin sweet tsuuuit tsuuuit tsuuuit …

8. Scarlet Minivet (Pericrocotus flammeus) 17 – 21.5 cm

Male: Large/shorter-tailed than Long-tailed, isolated red on tertials/secondaries

Female: Size, build, yellow forecrown, slaty-grey above, all bright yellow below, isolated yellow on tertials/secondaries

Voice: Loud piercing sweeep-sweeep-sweeep… and weeep-weeep-weee-wit-wip.