Ashy-headed babbler

Last updated

Ashy-headed babbler
Ashy-headed Babbler.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Pellorneidae
Genus: Pellorneum
Species:
P. cinereiceps
Binomial name
Pellorneum cinereiceps
(Tweeddale, 1878)
Synonyms [1]
  • Drymocataphus cinereiceps Tweeddale, 1878
  • Malacocincla cinereiceps (Tweeddale, 1878)
  • Trichastoma cinereiceps (Tweeddale, 1878)

The ashy-headed babbler (Pellorneum cinereiceps) is a species of passerine bird in the ground babbler family Pellorneidae. The species is also known as the ashy-crowned babbler. The species is closely related to the short-tailed babbler. The two species are sometimes treated as the same species but differ in their calls. The species is monotypic, meaning it has no subspecies. [2]

Contents

Description and taxonomy

The ashy-headed babbler is 13 cm (5.1 in) long and weighs 22–26 g (0.78–0.92 oz). The crown and nape are grey, and the rest of the face is light grey except for a moustachial stripe . The upperparts, upperwing and tail are ochre-brown, the throat, breast and belly are white with a narrow ochre wash across the breast and along the flanks. The legs are pinkish and the bill is grey above and pink below. The sexes are the same. The calls include a nasal jhieu-jhieu-jhieu-jhieu. [2]

It was formerly conspecific with the short-tailed babbler but is differentiated by its voice. [3]

Behaviour and ecology

The behaviour of this species is poorly known. Nothing is known about its diet, but it is assumed to eat small invertebrates. It feeds singly or in pairs and close to the ground, in a manner very similar to the short-tailed babbler. It is inquisitive and flicks its wings while foraging. [2]

The breeding season of the ashy-headed babbler is between April and September. They nest on the ground at the base of rattan (a type of climbing palm); the nest is a cup of grasses, rattan fibres and bamboo leaves, lined with lichens and moss. Two eggs are laid, which can be white with red or brown spots or blue with dark brown speckles. [2]

Habitat and conservation status

It is endemic to Palawan in the Philippines. The species is found in primary forest and secondary forest as well as scrubland, from sea-level to 1,300 m (4,300 ft). The species is non-migratory. [2]

It is assessed as least-concern species under the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Its population is said to be declining as Palawan's forests are under threat due to illegal logging, deforestation, land conversion and mining. The whole of Palawan was designated as a Biosphere Reserve; however, protection and enforcement of laws has been difficult and these threats still continue. It occurs in just one protected area in the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brown-capped babbler</span> Species of bird

The brown-capped babbler is a member of the family Pellorneidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melodious babbler</span> Species of bird

The melodious babbler is a species of bird in the family Pellorneidae. It is endemic to the Philippines and found only on Palawan and Balabac.

The Abyssinian catbird or juniper babbler is a species of bird in the family Sylviidae.. It is endemic to Ethiopia where it is found in highland forest and scrub. The Abyssinian catbird is a fairly small, mostly grey bird with black lores, whitish forehead and chestnut vent.

<i>Pellorneum</i> Genus of birds

Pellorneum is a genus of passerine birds in the family Pellorneidae. Some of its species were formerly placed in the genus Trichastoma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green shrike-babbler</span> Species of bird

The green shrike-babbler is a bird species that was earlier placed in the family Timaliidae. The species is now considered to be an Asian offshoot of the American vireos and belongs in the family Vireonidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Falcated wren-babbler</span> Species of bird

The falcated wren-babbler is a species of bird in the family Pellorneidae. It is endemic to Palawan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden-crowned babbler</span> Species of bird

The golden-crowned babbler is a species of bird in the family Zosteropidae. It is endemic to the Philippines found only in the moist tropical forest in Northern Luzon. It is threatened by habitat loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palawan striped babbler</span> Species of bird

The Palawan striped babbler is a species of bird in the family Zosteropidae. It is one of the four striped babblers along with the Negros striped babbler, Panay striped babbler and Luzon striped babbler. It is endemic to the Philippines, where it is only found in Palawan. Its natural habitat is tropical moist montane forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visayan babbler</span> Species of bird

The Visayan babbler also known as the Visayan Black-crowned Babbler. is a species of bird in the family Zosteropidae. It is endemic to the Philippines. It is found on Samar, Leyte and Bohol. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forest. It was formerly conspecific to the northern population of the Calabarzon black-crowned babbler but has since been split as a species due to differences in its yellowish throat and whiter belly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luzon striped babbler</span> Species of bird

The Luzon striped babbler is a species of bird in the family Zosteropidae. It is one of the four striped babblers along with the Negros striped babbler, Panay striped babbler and Palawan striped babbler. It is endemic to the Philippines, where it is only found in northern Luzon and in Bataan. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pellorneidae</span> Family of birds

The jungle babblers are a family, Pellorneidae, of mostly Old World passerine birds belonging to the superfamily Sylvioidea. They are quite diverse in size and coloration, and usually characterised by soft, fluffy plumage and a tail on average the length of their body, or longer. These birds are found in tropical zones, with the greatest biodiversity in Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent.

References

  1. 1 2 3 BirdLife International (2016). "Trichastoma cinereiceps". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T22715837A94471144. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22715837A94471144.en . Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Collar, N. & Robson, C. (2017). Ashy-crowned Babbler (Malacocincla cinereiceps). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from http://www.hbw.com/node/59515 on 17 March 2017).
  3. ↑ Collar, Nigel; Robson, Craig (2020). "Ashy-headed Babbler (Pellorneum cinereiceps), version 1.0". Birds of the World. doi:10.2173/bow.ashbab1.01species_shared.bow.project_name. ISSN   2771-3105.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.