Chestnut-capped babbler

The chestnut-capped babbler is a passerine bird of the family Timaliidae. It is monotypic within the genus Timalia.

Taxonomy

The chestnut-capped babbler is placed as the sole species in the genus Timalia. It is divided into six subspecies with the following distribution: T. p. bengalensis – lower Himalayas T. p. smithi – northern Myanmar to southern China, northern Thailand and northern IndochinaT. p. ''intermedia – central and southern Myanmar to southwestern ThailandT. p. patriciae – western part of the central plains of ThailandT. p. dictator – eastern and southeastern Thailand to southern IndochinaT. p. pileata'' – Java

Related species

This species is most closely related to the two Indian species, the tawny-bellied babbler and the dark-fronted babbler. Together they form a sister group to the rest of the species in the family Timaliidae.

Description

The chestnut-capped babbler is a medium-sized babbler with a fairly long, wedge-shaped tail and a thick, black bill. The plumage is unbarred brown with characteristic head markings: a chestnut-coloured crown and black eye mask contrasting with a white forehead and white eyebrow line.

Ecology

Distribution

This bird is native in Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The Sukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve in Nepal represents the western limit of its distribution.

Behaviour

The species is found in tall grass, reed beds and shrublands. It feeds on butterfly larvae, beetles and other insects. The bird breeds between February and October in India and between April and September in Southeast Asia. It probably lays several clutches.

Status

The species has a large range and population, but is thought to be declining in numbers due to habitat destruction and fragmentation, although not sufficiently so to be considered threatened. The International Union for Conservation of Nature therefore categorizes the species as "Least Concern". The global population has not been estimated, but it is described as locally common to uncommon.