From Opus

Photo by bambuza
Chiangmai, Thailand, October 2009

Alternative name: Red-capped Babbler

Timalia pileata

[edit] Identification

15.5 - 17cm. A medium-sized Babbler:

• Thick black bill
• Chestnut cap
• Black mask
• White supercilium, cheeks, throat and upper breast
• Fine dark streaks over throat and breast
• Grey sides of neck and breast
• Olive-brown upperparts
• Fairly long tail

Sexes are similar but males are larger than females. Juveniles are warmer brown above, the cap and supercilium are duller and the lower mandible has a pale base.

[edit] Distribution

Found from north India east over Nepal, parts of east and northeast India to Bangladesh, Burma, south China, Thailand, Indochina and an isolated population on Java, Indonesia.
Locally common.

[edit] Taxonomy

There are 6 subspecies:

• T. p. bengalensis from north India east to Nepal, northeast India, Bangladesh and northwest and west Burma
• T. p. smithi in north and east Burma, northwest Thailand, south China (Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Guangdong), Laos and north Vietnam
• T. p. intermedia in central and south Burma and west Thailand
• T. p. patriciae in southwest Thailand
• T. p. dictator in northeast and southeast Thailand, Cambodia, south Laos and south Vietnam
• T. p. pileata in west Java

[edit] Habitat

Swampy areas, tall grass, reedbeds, brushwood and scrub-jungle, thorn hedges, bamboo between cultivations. Often along streams. Up to 1500m in most of its range, up to 880m in China.

[edit] Behaviour

Feeds on caterpillars, beetles and other insects.
Usually seen in pairs and outside the breeding season in groups of 6 - 8 birds, often together with Yellow-eyed Babbler. Keeps low down in vegetation.
Breeding season February to October in India, April to September in southeast Asia. The nest is a rough ball (oval or dome) made of dry coarse grasses, straw, dry bamboo or other leaves. Lays 2 - 5 eggs.
Resident species.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist.
2. Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2007. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 12: Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553422
3. Rasmussen, PC and JC Anderton. 2005. Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8487334672

• List of references

[edit] External Links