From Opus

Photo by Peter Ericsson
Krung Ching, NakornSriThammarat, Thailand, May 2009

Alternative names: Rail-babbler; Malay Rail-Babbler; Malay Scrub-robin

Eupetes macrocerus

[edit] Identification

28 - 30cm. An unmistakable species:

• Long neck and tail
• Broad white supercilium extending down side of neck
• Broad black line from bill base and lores through and below orbit and along neck side
• Azure patch on side of neck below black line
• Chestnut-red crown, nape and hindneck
• Golden-brown to ochraceous buff plumage
• borneensis with richer brown head and much redder upperparts and tail

Sexes similar, juveniles are duller than adults.

[edit] Distribution

Found from south Thailand south on the Malay Peninsula, on Sumatra and Borneo.
Scarce to fairly common in its range.

[edit] Taxonomy

Two subspecies accepted:

• E. m. macrocerus in Thailand, the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra
• E. m. borneensis in Borneo

For the taxonomic placement of this species see the genus page.

[edit] Habitat

Primary forest and logged forest with closed canopy. Also in swamp-forest and heath-forest. Found from lowlands up to 1060m in Malaysia and 900m in Sumatra and Borneo.

[edit] Behaviour

Feeds on insects.
Highly terrestrial, usually seen walking on forest floor. Runs away if disturbed rather than flying.
Breeding season from January to June. The nest is a shallow cup made of plant fibres. One was described placed on top of accumulated dead leaves among leaf stalks of a ground plant. Lays 2 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

• List of references

[edit] External Links