Birds of the World: Timaliidae

Showing posts with label Timaliidae. Show all posts

Sunday, 8 March 2015

Mountain wren-babbler

Napothera crassa

Photo by James Eaton (Oriental Bird Images)

Common name:
mountain wren-babbler (en); zaragateiro-pequeno-montês (pt); turdinule des montagnes (fr); ratina montana (es); blasskehltimalie (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Timaliidae

Range:
This species is endemic to northern Borneo, being found along the border between Malaysia and Indonesia, and also in Brunei.

Size:
These birds are 14 cm long and weigh about 25 g.

Habitat:
The mountain wren-babbler is found in dense, moist tropical forests, mainly in mountainous areas, but also at lower altitudes.

Diet:
They feed on insects, such as grasshoppers, and small snails.

Breeding:
Mountain wren-babblers breed in February-August. They nest in a cup made of grasses, placed in moss-covered bank by a forest trail. The female lays 2 white eggs. There is no information regarding the incubation and fledging periods.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a relatively large breeding range and is described as uncommon in Sabah and common in Mount Kinabalu National Park and in Gunung Niut Nature Reserve. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction and fragmentation.

Sunday, 8 February 2015

Mindanao pygmy babbler

Stachyris plateni

Photo by Nobuo Matsumura (Oriental Bird Images)

Common name:
Mindanao pygmy babbler (en); zaragateiro-pigmeu-de-Mindanao (pt); timalie pygmée de Mindanao (fr); timalí de Mindanao (de); zwergbuschtimalie (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Timaliidae

Range:
This species is endemic to the island of Mindanao, in the southern Philippines.

Size:
These birds are 10 cm long and weigh 7,5-10 g.

Habitat:
The Mindanao pygmy babbler is found in primary rainforests and adjacent second growths and cultivated areas. They are present at altitudes of 100-1.100 m.

Diet:
They feed on insects and small fruits, usually foraging in small groups sometimes together with other babblers.

Breeding:
These birds possibly breed in March-May. The nest is made of white, fluffy plant material, including seeds. There is no further information about their reproduction.

Conservation:
IUCN status - NT (Near-Threatened)
This species has a relatively large breeding range but is described as uncommon to rare. Despite their tolerance to habitat degradation, the population is suspected to be declining at a moderately rapid rate due to logging and clearance of forests for agriculture.The species occurs in several protected areas, but measures are still needed to effectively protect the forests there.

Friday, 9 January 2015

Long-billed wren-babbler

Rimator malacoptilus

Photo by Christoph Moning (Oriental Bird Images)

Common name:
long-billed wren-babbler (en); zaragateiro-pequeno-de-bico-comprido (pt); turdinule à long bec (fr); ratina picuda (es); Assamzwergsäbler (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Timaliidae

Range:
This species is found in extreme north-eastern India, and in adjacent parts of northern Myanmar, Bhutan, and north-western Yunnan in southern China.

Size:
These birds are 11-12 cm long and weigh 18-21 g.

Habitat:
The long-billed wren-babbler is mostly found in broadleaved evergreen temperate forests, also using forest edges, bamboo thickets and second growths. They occur at altitudes of 900-2.700 m.

Diet:
They forage on the ground and in the forest undergrowth, taking various invertebrates.

Breeding:
These birds breed in May-July. The nest is a untidy globe with an entrance near the top, made of loosely woven dead leaves, grass, fern fronds and roots. It is placed on the ground, among the leaf litter, near the base of a large tree. The female lays around 4 pinkish-white eggs with reddish-brown spots and blotches. There is no information regarding the incubation and fledging periods.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is described as generally rare. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction and fragmentation.

Sunday, 7 December 2014

Brown-cheeked laughingthrush

Garrulax henrici

Photo by Tang Jun (Oriental Bird Images)

Common name:
brown-cheeked laughingthrush (en); zaragateiro-de-Henri (pt); garrulaxe de Henri (fr); charlatán de Henri (es); Prinzenhäherling (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Timaliidae

Range:
This species is found in the Himalayas, in southern Xizang, China, in south-eastern Tibet, and marginally in extreme north-eastern India.

Size:
These birds are 24,5-26 cm long and weigh 60-70 g.

Habitat:
The brown-cheeked laughingtrush is mostly found in high-altitude scrublands, including pea trees Caragana sp. and the edges of moist tropical forests. They also use arable land and rural gardens. This species occurs at altitudes of 2.000-4.600 m.

Diet:
They feed on invertebrates and possibly also some vegetable matter.

Breeding:
These birds breed in May-September and are socially monogamous. The nest is an untidy cup made of dry grass, dead leaves, strips of bark and moss, and lined with dry grass. It is placed in a scrub, 0,5-2,5 m above the ground. There the female lays 2-3 eggs, which are incubated for 13-17 days. The chicks fledge 14-16 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is described as locally common to rare. The population trend is difficult to determine because of uncertainty over the impacts of habitat modification on population sizes.

Sunday, 26 October 2014

Common jery

Neomixis tenella

Photo by Nick Athanas (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
common jery (en); jéri-comum (pt); petite éroesse (fr); jiji común (es); graunackentimalie (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Timaliidae

Range:
This species is endemic to Madagascar, being found throughout the island.

Size:
These birds are 10 cm long and weigh 6-8 g.

Habitat:
The common jery is mostly found in both dry and moist tropical forests, also using mangroves, dry scrublands, second growths, plantations and rural gardens.

Diet:
They forage by gleaning small arthropods from the foliage in the tree canopy, taking spiders, beetles, bugs, roaches, ants, butterflies, caterpillars and flies.

Breeding:
Common jerries breed in September-April. Nothing else is known about their reproduction.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is described as common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any current declines or substantial threats.

Thursday, 18 September 2014

Eyebrowed wren-babbler

Napothera epilepidota

Photo by David Lai (Oriental Bird Images)

Common name:
eyebrowed wren-babbler (en); zaragateiro-pequeno-de-sobrancelha (pt); petite turdinule (fr); ratina cejuda (es); streifenbrusttimalie (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Timaliidae

Range:
This species is found from southern China, Bangladesh and extreme north-eastern India, through Indochina and into the Indonesian islands of Java, Sumatra and Borneo.

Size:
These birds are 10-11 cm long.

Habitat:
The eyebrowed wren-babbler is found in moist tropical forests, including broadleaved evergreen forests, secondary forests, mixed dipterocarp forests and gallery forests.

Diet:
They feed on various arthropods, including ants, grasshoppers, beetles and spiders.

Breeding:
Eyebrowed wren-babblers breed in November-June, varying among different parts of their range. The nest is a dome or cup made of decaying plant material, where the female lays 3-4 eggs. There is no available information regarding the incubation and fledging periods.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as generally fairly common across its range, although rare in India and Bhutan. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction and fragmentation.

Tuesday, 5 August 2014

Puvel's illadopsis

Illadopsis puveli

Photo by Krzysztof Blachowiak (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
Puvel's illadopsis (en); falso-tordo-de-Cacine (pt); akalat de Puvel (fr); tordina de Puvel (es); großfuß-buschdrossling (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Timaliidae

Range:
This African species is patchily distributed, with two disjunct subspecies. I.p. puveli is found is West Africa, from Senegal to Togo, while I.p. strenuipes occurs in a few patches in southern Nigeria and Cameroon, and in north-eastern D.R. Congo, southern South Sudan and western Uganda.

Size:
These birds are 17-18 cm long and weigh 38-52 g.

Habitat:
The Puvel's illadopsis is mostly found in the undergrowth of moist tropical forests, particularly gallery forests, but also use moist scrublands, dry savannas, dry tropical forests and second growths.

Diet:
They mainly forage on the ground, among the leaf litter, taking various invertebrates such as ants and spiders.

Breeding:
These birds breed in August-March. The nest is a mossy cup paced about 2 m above the ground. There is no further information regarding the reproduction of this species.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range. The global population size is yet to be quantified, but it is reported to be probably overlooked and therefore under-recorded. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any current declines or substantial threats.

Monday, 7 July 2014

Malia

Malia grata

Photo by Rob Hutchinson (Oriental Bird Images)

Common name:
malia (en); malia (pt); malia des Célèbes (fr); timalí malia (es); mooswaldtimalie (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Timaliidae

Range:
This species indemic to the island of Sulawesi, in Indonesia, being restricted to the mountain forests located inland.

Size:
These birds are 28-29 cm long.

Habitat:
The malia is only found in primary mountain rainforests, at altitudes of 900-2.400 m.

Diet:
They forage in small groups, often together with other species, searching for invertebrates, particularly beetles and grasshoppers, among rotten wood, dislodge moss and loose bark.

Breeding:
There is no available information on the reproduction of the malia.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a relatively large but restricted breeding range. Although the global population size has not been quantified, the malia is described as widespread and locally moderately common. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction and fragmentation, but it is not considered threatened at present.

Saturday, 24 May 2014

Scaly-crowned babbler

Malacopteron cinereum

Photo by Peter Ericsson (Oriental Bird Images)

Common name:
scaly-crowned babbler (en); zaragateiro-de-barrete-escamado (pt); akalat à calotte maillée (fr); tordina coroniescamada (es); rotstirn-zweigtimalie (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Timaliidae

Range:
This species is found from Vietnam and Thailand to the Indonesian islands of Borneo, Sumatra and Java.

Size:
These birds are 16 cm long and weigh 14-21 g.

Habitat:
The scaly-croned babbler is mostly found in moist tropical forests, also using swamp forests and second growths.

Diet:
They are mainly insectivorous.

Breeding:
There is no available information on the reproduction of the scaly-crowned babbler.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any current declines or substantial threats.

Sunday, 27 April 2014

Ferruginous babbler

Trichastoma bicolor

Photo by James Chong (Oriental Bird Images)

Common name:
ferruginous babbler (en); zaragateiro-ruivo (pt); akalat ferrugineux (fr); tordina bicolor (es); weißwangen-maustimalie (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Timaliidae

Range:
This species is found in southern Thailand and extreme southern Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Borneo.

Size:
These birds are 16,5-18 cm long and weigh about 30 g.

Habitat:
This species is found in lowland tropical rainforests, particularly evergreen mixed dipterocarp forests, swamp forests, second growths and selectively logged forests, old plantations and locally in mangroves. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 900 m.

Diet:
They feed on ants and other insects.

Breeding:
The ferruginous babbler breeds in February-September. The nest is a small untidy cup made of dead bamboo and other leaves, placed on a plant up to 0,8 m above the ground, or in a depression in a bank. the female lays2 eggs. there is no information regarding the incubation and fledgling periods.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is described as generally fairly common to common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Tuesday, 18 March 2014

Kerala laughingthrush

Strophocincla fairbanki

Photo by M. Chandru (Wikipedia)

Common name:
Kerala laughingthrush (en); zaragateiro-de-Kerala (pt); garrulaxe de Fairbank (fr); charlatán de Kerala (es); Keralahäherling (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Timaliidae

Range:
This species is endemic to the Western Ghats of southern Kerala and southern Tamil Nadu, in southern India.

Size:
These birds are 17-19 cm long.

Habitat:
The Kerala laughingthrush is mostly found in high altitude scrublands, especially along streams, but also use tea and cardamom plantations, the edges of secondary forests and broadleaved evergreen forests, and rural gardens. they are present at altitudes of 800-2.400 m.

Diet:
They feed on the nectar of of Lobelia excelsa, Rhododendron sp. and Strobilanthes sp. as well as the berries and fruits of Viburnum sp., Eurya sp., Rubus sp., Maesa sp., Luvunga sp., Trema sp. and Rhodomyrtus tomentosa. They also take some insects.

Breeding:
Kerala laughingthrushes breed in December-June, with a peak in April-May. The nest is a cup made of grasses, rootlets and moss, lined with fine plant fibres and feathers, and placed on fork among dense scrubs, usually 0,5-5 m above the ground. The female lays 2 blue eggs with reddish markings, which are incubated for 14-16 days. The chicks fledge 15-17 days after hatching. After the chicks fledge, or in the event they are predated, the parents destroy the nest.

Conservation:
IUCN status - NT (Near-Threatened)
This species as a small and fragmented breeding range, but is described as locally fairly common. The population is suspected to be declining as a result of habitat loss and degradation, mainly through livestock grazing and harvesting of fuel wood and other forest products such as bamboo and canes. Furthermore, hydroelectric power development and road-building are causing reductions in forest cover in some areas. Having a mountain distribution that is close to the maximum altitude within its range, this species is potentially susceptible to climate change.

Thursday, 13 February 2014

Blue-crowned laughingthrush

Garrulax courtoisi

Photo by Erwin Collaerts (Oriental Bird Images)

Common name:
blue-crowned laughingthrush (en); zaragateiro-de-Courtois (pt); garrulaxe de Courtois (fr); charlatán coroniazul (es); blaukappenhäherling (de)

Taxoonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Timaliidae

Range:
This species is endemic to China, only being found in five small and fragmented sites in
Jiangxi Province.

Size:
These birds are 23-25 cm long and weigh about 50 g.

Habitat:
The blue-crowned laughingthrush is found in moist tropical forests and scrublands, most often near rivers and streams and often near human settlements.

Diet:
They are omnivorous, taking both fruits and various insects and other invertebrates.

Breeding:
Blue-crowned laughingthrushes breed in April-July. They nest in small colonies, with several nest in the same small area. each nest is tended by a family groups including the breeding pair and young from previous broods who help rear the new chicks. The nest is an open cup made of twigs, plant fibres and grasses, and lined with dry grasses. The female lays 2-4 eggs which are incubated by both parent and the helpers for 13 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and the helpers and fledge 16 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - CR (Critically Endangered)
This species has a small and fragmented breeding range and a global population estimated at just 50-250 individuals. The population trend is unknown, but believed to be declining due to low productivity. The blue-crowned laughingthrush is threatened by trapping for the cage bird trade, road building and urban development, and the very small population may now be prone to the loss of genetic diversity. A number of small Special Protected Areas were established in Jiangxi Province to protect this species.

Monday, 6 January 2014

Black-chinned babbler

Stachyris pyrrhops

Photo by Gunjan Arora (Oriental Bird Images)

Common name:
black-chinned babbler (en); zaragateiro-de-garganta-preta (pt); timalie à bec rouge (fr); timalí barbinegro (es); schwarzkinntimalie (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Timaliidae

Range:
This species is found in the southern slopes of the Himalayas, in northern India, Nepal and marginally into north-eastern Pakistan.

Size:
These tiny babblers are 10-12 cm long and weigh 8-11,5 g.

Habitat:
The black-chinned is mostly found in the understorey of temperate forests, also using moist tropical forests and scrublands. They are restricted to the lower foothills at altitudes of 250-2.750 m.

Diet:
They forage among the foliage, taking insects, spider and other arthropods, including larvae and eggs. They also take small fruits and berries, seeds and occasionally flower, pollen and nectar.

Breeding:
Black-chinned babblers breed in April-June. They nest in a cup or dome made of dry leaves and reeds and lined with pine needles and plant fibres. The nest is usually placed in a low scrub. The female lays 3-4 white eggs with pale red blotches. Both sexes incubate and feed the young, but thre is no information regarding the length of the incubation and fledgling periods.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is reported to be fairly common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any current declines or substantial threats.

Saturday, 7 December 2013

Black-throated laughingthrush

Garrulax chinensis

Photo by Darren Whifflepeg (Flickr)

Common name:
black-throated laughingthrush (en); zaragateiro-de-garganta-preta (pt); garrulaxe à joues blanches (fr); charlatán golinegro (es); weißohrhäherling (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Timaliidae

Range:
This species is found in southern China, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, northern Thailand and into parts of Cambodia.

Size:
These birds are 25 cm long and weigh 90-130 g.

Habitat:
The black-throated laughingthrush is found in tropical and sub-tropical moist forests, and also in wet grasslands and moist scrublands.

Diet:
They feed on insects, crustaceans and various seeds.

Breeding:
These birds nest in a cup made of mosses, dead leaves, and other plant materials. The female lays 2-4 glossy blue eggs, which are incubated for 14 days. The chicks fledge 13-16 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as fairly common. The population is suspected to be declining due to ongoing habitat destruction and fragmentation, but the black-throated laughing thrush is not considered threatened at present.

Sunday, 10 November 2013

Angola babbler

Turdoides hartlaubii

Photo by Lee Ouzman (Lee Ouzman Photographic Library)

Common name:
Angola babbler (en); zaragateiro-de-rabadilha-branca (pt); cratérope de Hartlaub (fr); turdoide de Hartlaub (es); Hartlaubdrossling (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Timaliidae

Range:
This species is found from south-eastern D.R. Congo, through Zambia and Angola, and into northern Namibia and Botswana.

Size:
These birds are 26 cm long and weigh 80 g.

Habitat:
The Angola babbler is mostly found in moist scrublands and dry savannas, especially along streams and rivers, also using reedbeds and papyrus swamps and marshes, as well as moist tropical forests and rural gardens. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.200 m.

Diet:
They are known to feed on insects, but their diet has not been recorded in detail.

Breeding:
Angola babblers breed in October-April. They are cooperative breeders, with up to 6 helpers assisting the breeding pair in raising the chicks. The nest is a messy bowl made of dry leaves, grass, string and thin roots, lined with finer plant material such as slender twigs. It is typically placed 1-4 m above the ground, in a clump of reeds or on a small tree or scrub located near water, in a swamp or flood plain. There the female lays 2-4 glossy, greyish turquoise or deep greenish blue eggs. There is no information regarding the incubation period, but the chicks are cared for by both parents and helpers, fledging about 18 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common to abundant. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any current declines or substantial threats.

Sunday, 6 October 2013

Nonggang babbler

Stachyris nonggangensis

Photo by James Eaton (Oriental Bird Images)

Common name:
Nonggang babbler (en); zaragateiro-de-Nonggang (pt); timalie de Nonggang (fr); timali de Nonggang (es); Nonggang-timalie (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Timaliidae

Range:
This species was recently described from Nonggang Nature Reserve, in the Chinese province of Guangxi. It apparently occupies a limited area along the Chinese-Vietnamese border in that region.

Size:
These birds are 16-17 cm long and weigh 33-38 g.

Habitat:
The Nonggang babbler is only mostly found in seasonal rainforest associated with limestone karsts and also on limestone outcrops.

Diet:
They feed on insects and other invertebrates, which they hunt on the ground, between rocks and among the forest leaf litter.

Breeding:
The Nonggang babbler breeds in April-June. The nest is made of aerial roots, leaves, twigs, and soft grasses, and placed in cavities in limestone cliffs or large rock located on the mountainside. The female lays 4-5 white eggs, which she incubates alone for 18-20 days. There is no information ragarding the length of the fledgling period.

Conservation:
IUCN status - VU (Vulnerable)
This species has a small breeding range and a global population estimated at 2.500-10.000 individuals. The population trend has not been quantified; however, it is suspected to be declining due to ongoing habitat degradation and fragmentation through selective logging, agricultural expansion and road building.

Tuesday, 27 August 2013

Spiny babbler

Turdoides nipalensis

Photo by Jyotendra Thakuri (Oriental Bird Images)

Common name:
spiny babbler (en); zaragateiro-do-Nepal (pt); cratérope du Népal (fr); turdoide nepalés (es); igeldrossling (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Timaliidae

Range:
This species is endemic to Nepal.

Size:
These birds are 28 cm long and weigh 65-90 g.

Habitat:
The spiny babbler is mostly found in moist tropical and sub-tropical scrublands, and also in areas a few scattered trees, at altitudes of 900-2.100 m.

Diet:
They feed on the ground or among low scrubs, mainly eating insects, such as beetles, butterflies and caterpillars, grasshoppers, dragonflies, bugs, wasps and other insects. Earthworms are also common in their diet. They also eat some fruits, berries, seeds and nectar.

Breeding:
Spiny babblers breed in April-June. The nest is a deep cup made of grasses, placed in a low scrub, attached to a sturdy clump of grasses, or sometimes in a fork in a small tree. The female lays 3-4 pale blue eggs, which are incubated by both parents for 19-20 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 22-24 days after hatching, but only become fully independent 4-6 weeks later.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a relatively large breeding range and is reported to be frequent and fairly widespread. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any current declines or substantial threats.

Sunday, 14 July 2013

Taiwan yuhina

Yuhina brunneiceps

Photo by Robert Tec (Wikipedia)

Common name:
Taiwan yuhina (en); iuína-da-Formosa (pt); yuhina de Taiwan (fr); yuhina de Formosa (es);
braunkopfyuhina (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Timaliidae

Range:
This species is endemic to Taiwan, being mostly found on the eastern side of the island.

Size:
These birds are 12-13 cm long and weigh 10-13 g.

Habitat:
The Taiwan yuhina is found in temperate and tropical moist forests, including broad-leaved and mixed broad-leaved and coniferous forests at altitudes of 1.000-3.000 m.

Diet:
They feed mostly on the nectar of Magnoliaceae, Elaeagnaceae and Salicaceae, also eating fruits, berries and flowers, and also some small insects.

Breeding:
Taiwan yuhinas breed in March-September. They are cooperative breeders, forming groups of 2-8 individuals, all of which help raise the chicks and defend the territory. The nest is bowl-shaped and made of moss, ferns, silver grass and roots, being fixed to a tree branch with spider webs. It is lined with ferns. The female lays 4-8 light green or blue eggs with yellowish-brown markings, which are incubated for 12-16 days. the chicks fledge 10-14 days after hatching. Each group may raise up to 3 broods per season.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a relatively large breeding range and a global population estimated at 100.000-1.000.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction and fragmentation, but it is not considered threatened at present.

Thursday, 6 June 2013

Black-chinned laughingthrush

Strophocincla cachinnans

Photo by Niranjan Sant (Oriental Bird Images)

Common name:
black-chinned laughingthrush (en); zaragateiro-de-garganta-preta (pt); garrulaxe des Nilgiri (fr); chalátan de Nilgiri (es); zimtbrusthäherling (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Timaliidae

Range:
This species is endemic to southern India, only being found in north-western Tamil Nadu, north-eastern Kerala and south-western Karnataka, predominantly in the Nilgiri Hills, and with a smaller disjunct population in the Palakkad-Siruvani Hills.

Size:
These birds are 20-24 cm long.

Habitat:
The black-chinned laughingthrush is mostly found in dense understory of tropical moist forests and also in scrublands, plantations and gardens at altitudes of 1.200-2.300 m.

Diet:
They feed on invertebrates, nectar, flowers, fruits and berries.

Breeding:
Back-chinned laughingthrushes breed in January-June. The nest is a deep cup made of fine twigs, moss, grass and dead leaves, and lined with moss roots, fibres, fine grass, wool, and fur. It is placed in a scrub or tree, usually 1-2 m above the ground. The female lays 2 greenish blue eggs with brown blotches, which are incubated by both parents for 16-17 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 15-18 days after hatching, but only become fully independent 3 weeks later.

Conservation:
IUCN status - EN (Endangered)
This species has a relatively small breeding range and a global population estimated by 2.500-10.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be declining at a moderate rate, owing to the degradation and loss of habitat. Many of the forests within their range are being converted into plantations, reservoirs, crops and human settlements. The indiscriminate use of inorganic pesticides may also be a problem. Having a mountainous distribution that is close to the maximum altitude within its range, this species is potentially susceptible to climate change.

Tuesday, 30 April 2013

Giant babax

Babax waddelli

Photo by Johan van't Bosch (Oriental Bird Images)

Common name:
giant babax (en); zaragateiro-babaxe-gigante (pt); babaxe de Waddell (fr); babax gigante (es); riesenbabax (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Timaliidae

Range:
This species is found in southern Tibet and marginally across the border into north-eastern Sikkim, India.

Size:
These birds are 31 cm long and weigh around 140 g.

Habitat:
The giant babax is found in moist tropical mountain forests and tropical high-altitude scrublands, particularly around stands of willow Salix sp., sea buckthorn Hippophae rhamnoides and prickly oak Quercus sp., and the edges of coniferous and mixed forests, at altitudes of 2.700-4.600 m.

Diet:
They feed on fruits, namely buckthorn, seeds and small insects.

Breeding:
Giant babaxes breed in May-July. They are cooperative breeders, with helpers assisting the breeding pair in tending the nest and the young. The nest is a rough cup, woven with thick twigs and peeled bark, and placed within a dense scrub, up to 2 m above the ground. There the female lays 2-4 eggs, which are incubated for 16-18 days. The chicks fledge 16-18 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - NT (Near-Threatened)
This species has a restricted breeding range and the global population is estimated at 120.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be declining at a moderately rapid rate, due to
deforestation and habitat degradation.