Grey-bellied wren-babbler

Grey-bellied wren-babbler
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Timaliidae
Genus:	Spelaeornis
Species:	S. reptatus
Binomial name
Spelaeornis reptatus (Bingham, 1903)
Synonyms
Spelaeornis chocolatinus reptatus

The grey-bellied wren-babbler (Spelaeornis reptatus) is a bird species in the family Timaliidae. It was until recently considered a subspecies of the long-tailed wren-babbler; the IUCN, for example, started recognizing it as distinct species in 2008. ^[2]

It is found in China (Yunnan), India (Arunachal Pradesh), Myanmar, and Thailand. Its natural habitat is subtropical moist montane forest. It is classified as a Species of Least Concern by the IUCN. ^[2]

Lisu Wren-Babbler

In March 2022, a possibly new species of bird was discovered by Praveen J., Deepu Karrethudatu, and others. It was discovered on the Mugaphi Hills in Namdapha National Park. ^[3]

It is different both morphologically and acoustically from S.reptatus. It is identified by the name "Lisu Wren-Babbler".

It has chocolate-brown upperparts with a clean white throat patch. This is the second undescribed possibly new species of bird in India, after the Great Nicobar Crake.

Footnotes

1. BirdLife International (2016). "Spelaeornis reptatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T22734543A95089223. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22734543A95089223.en . Retrieved 13 November 2021.
2. BLI (2008)
3. Praveen J., Karuthedathu, D., Sankar, S., Duraiswami, H., Yobin, Y., & Baruah, R., 2022. What is the identity of the Spelaeornis wren-babbler that occurs on the slopes of Mugaphi Peak in south-eastern Arunachal Pradesh? Indian BIRDS 18 (4): 107–113. https://indianbirds.in/pdfs/IB_18_4_PraveenETAL_MugaphiPeakSpelaeornis.pdf

References

• BirdLife International (BLI) (2008): [2008 IUCN Redlist status changes]. Retrieved 2008-MAY-23.