Javan Scimitar Babbler - BirdForum Opus

Subspecies: ottolanderi
Photo © by Mat & Cathy
Bedugul Gardens, Bali, 2 September 2009

Alternative name: Yellow-billed Scimitar-Babbler

Pomatorhinus montanus

Identification

19 - 21cm. A small Scimitar-Babbler with a relatively short decurved bill:

• Upperside and flanks chestnut
• Primaries and tail brown
• Underside white
• Crown dark grey
• Side of head black with white supercilium
• Yellow, decurved bill

Sexes are similar.

Distribution

Asia: Found in Java and Bali (Indonesia).

Taxonomy

Sunda Scimitar Babbler and Javan Scimitar Babbler were formerly together under the name of Chestnut-backed Scimitar Babbler.

Subspecies

Clements recognizes two subspecies[1].

• P. m. montanus in West and Central Java
• P. m. ottolanderi in East Java and Bali.

Habitat

Found in undergrowth and grass in moist montanes and lowland forests. Also in secondary and lightly logged forest, bamboo and overgrown clearings.

Behaviour

The diet includes snails, spiders, insects, seeds and fruits.
Found singly, in pairs or small parties, often associated with other species like Rufous-fronted Laughingthrush in Java.
Monogamous. Both sexes build a cone or bowl-shaped nest from plant material; 2-5 white eggs are laid.
Resident species.

References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2022. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2022. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
2. Gill, F, D Donsker, and P Rasmussen (Eds). 2023. IOC World Bird List (v 13.1)_red. Doi 10.14344/IOC.ML.13.1. http://www.worldbirdnames.org/
3. 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
4. Collar, N. and C. Robson (2022). Javan Scimitar-Babbler (Pomatorhinus montanus), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (B. K. Keeney, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.chbscb1.01

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Javan Scimitar Babbler. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 12 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Javan_Scimitar_Babbler

External Links

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