Alternative names: Rufous Babbler; Isidore's Rufous Babbler, New Guinea Babbler
- Garritornis isidorei
Pomatostomus isidorei
Identification
25 cm
- Mainly rufous plumage
- Broad tail
- Yellow bill
Sexes similar
Distribution
Endemic to New Guinea.
Fairly common in its range.
Taxonomy
Two subspecies recognized:
- G. i. isidorei southern lowlands of New Guinea and adjacent islands west of New Guinea (Waigeo, Misool)
- G. i. calidus northern New Guinea
Habitat
Moist lowland forests, monsoon forest, mature secondary growth, gallery forest. Up to 500m.
Behaviour
Feeds on insects and small reptiles, but not much information available.
Forages in groups of 4 - 10 birds through the low undergrowth, sometimes on the ground or in lower canopy. Typically moving upards through tree. Sometimes in mixed-species flocks with Spangled Drongo and Rusty Pitohui.
Not much information on breeding, but seems to be a co-operative breeder. The nest is an untidy flask-shaped pendent structure, one to two metres long with a side entrance. It's made of long dried stems of creepers and vines, lined with strips of palms and with bamboo leaves. It hangs 3 - 9 m above the ground in a forest clearing. Often several nests are close to each other.
The movements of this species are poorly understood. They seem to roam around in group territories.
References
- 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
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Papuan Babbler. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 7 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Papuan_Babbler
