Indian Scimitar-Babbler
Pomatorhinus horsfieldii
Striking tuxedoed babbler with a slightly downcurved banana-yellow bill and bright white eyebrows. A foothill and montane species of forest, forest edge, and dense scrubby growth. Clambers and bounces about along branches and in the undergrowth, typically in pairs or small flocks. Song variations include brief series of hooting calls, accelerating and jumbled in the second half. Calls include various rattles and hoots; often duets.
识别特征
The most distinctive feature of this 22 cm long bird is the long down-curved yellow bill which is blackish at the base of the upper mandible. It has a striking head pattern, with a long white supercilium above a broad black band through the eye. The white throat and breast contrast with the dark greyish brown on the upperside and dark grey to black on most of the underside. The tail is broad, long and graduated. They have short, round wings and being weak fliers are rarely seen flying in the open.<p>Indian scimitar-babblers have long down-curved yellow bills, used to work through the leaf litter and bark in search of their food which is mainly insects and berries. They can be difficult to observe in the dense vegetation they prefer, but like many other babblers, these are noisy birds, and the characteristic bubbling calls are often the best indication that these birds are present. The call itself consists of a loud fluty oop-pu-pu-pu followed immediately by a krukru. The second note is produced by the female and the duet is accurately synchronized. Leucistic plumages have been recorded.
分类信息
The Old World babblers are a large family of passerine birds characterised by soft fluffy plumage. They are birds of tropical areas, with the greatest variety in southeast Asia. This species is very close to the Sri Lanka scimitar babbler which has in the past been treated as a subspecies. In the past, this species has been considered as a subspecies of the white-browed scimitar babbler (Pomatorhinus schisticeps) which is found along the Himalayan foothills. Molecular studies confirm this relatedness.<p>There are several races that have been noted, race travancoreensis is found in the Western Ghats south of Goa and is darker (see Gloger's rule). The nominate horsfieldii is found in the plains in the southern part of the peninsula. The race obscurus of the dry zone in the northwest (Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat; possibly Orissa) is lighter and greyer. Race maderaspatensis of the Eastern Ghats is intermediate in plumage between the nominate form and obscurus. Race maderaspatensis lacks the black base to the upper mandible and the bill is shorter. It has been recorded from the Palkonda Hills, Nallamalai Hills, Kurumbapatti and Shevaroy Hills.<p>The Sri Lankan form that was considered as a subspecies, melanurus, has been elevated to a full species by some works that note the geographic isolation and distinctive calls. The Sri Lankan form, however, responds to playback of the call of the Indian form.
- 学名
- Pomatorhinus horsfieldii
- 命名信息
- Sykes, 1832
- 目
- Passeriformes
- 科
- Timaliidae
- 属
- Pomatorhinus
分布与栖息地
It is the only scimitar babbler in Peninsular India. This species is found south of a line between Rajasthan and Orissa.
- 迁徙
- Resident species
行为
The Indian scimitar babbler is a resident breeder (non-migratory) bird. Its habitat is forest and secondary growth mainly in the hilly regions. They feed on insects on the ground or on vegetation. Hopping on the ground, they may turn over leaves or probe in leaf litter for prey. They may sometimes join mixed-species foraging flocks.<p>They breed from December to May. The nest is a large and loose globular mass of foliage concealed in a bush on the ground or low down. They usually lay three eggs (but varies from two to four) which are pure white in colour.
保护状况
- 种群趋势
- rising
照片
分布
鸟叫声
其他鸟类
Rufous-browed Peppershrike
Cyclarhis gujanensis
A large chunky vireo, widespread in tropical and subtropical wooded habitats. Forages sluggishly, mainly at mid-upper levels, sometimes joining mixed-species feeding flocks. Plumage varies across its range, but all populations have a very stout pale bill, a rusty eyebrow, and pinkish legs; underparts vary from bright yellow (as in mainland Mexico and Central America) to dingy yellow (as on Cozumel Island).
Chestnut-vented Nuthatch
Sitta nagaensis
Typical nuthatch; small bird with a wedge-shaped head, usually seen clambering around on trees. Gray above and white below, with a thin black line extending from the bill base to the shoulder. Deep rust red on the flanks and red-edged scaling under the tail serve to distinguish this otherwise plain species from similar nuthatches. Active and social, often following mixed flocks. Inhabits both broadleaf and coniferous forests in foothill and submontane areas. Listen for its song, a loud ringing series of trills. Calls include nasal caws, a bright-sounding “pewpewpew,” and high-pitched chittering.
Pearl-breasted Swallow
Hirundo dimidiata
A martin-like swallow with a bicolored plumage pattern of steel-blue upperparts and pale underparts. Pairs or small groups flit low over grassland, scrub, farmland, and open woodland, often near water. It is a migrant to the southern parts of South Africa, but it is resident elsewhere, with some poorly understood movements. The Pearl-breasted Swallow differs from House Martin and Gray-rumped Swallow by having a dark (not pale) rump and pale (not dark) underwings.
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