From Opus

nominate subspecies gularis
Photo by kampang
Singapore, June 2006

bornensis, part of Bold-striped Tit-Babbler
Photo by Joe Pan
Kinabatangan District, Sabah, Malaysia, November 2006

Alternative names: Yellow-breasted Babbler / Tit-Babbler; Striated or Stripe-throated Babbler / Tit-Babbler; Pin-striped Tit-Babbler

Macronous gularis

Includes: Bold-striped Tit-Babbler

[edit] Identification

11 - 12cm. A small, very variable Babbler.

• Yellowish, whitish or olive breast with fine to heavy black streaks
• Rufous to brown or grey crown
• Some subspecies with yellow supercilium, other with greyish to olive supercilium
• Rufous to olive or brown upperparts
• Greyish, yellow or olive underparts
• Yellow iris, not well visible in gularis

The birds of the Bold-striped Tit-Babbler group lack yellow tones, the throat is mostly whitish and the streaking is much heavier.

[edit] Distribution

Found from Nepal, Bhutan and northeast and east India and Bangladesh to Burma, south China, Thailand, Indochina, peninsular Malaysia (including Singapore where very common), Sumatra, Java, Borneo and southwest Philippines.
Common and widespread in most of its range.

[edit] Taxonomy

Two groups with many subspecies accepted:

• Pin-striped Tit-Babbler
  • M. g. rubicapilla in Nepal, Bhutan northeast and eastcentral India and Bangladesh
  • M. g. ticehursti in Burma
  • M. g. sulphureus in Burma, Thailand and south China (Yunnan)
  • M. g. lutescens in Burma, Thailand, south China, Laos and north Vietnam
  • M. g. kinneari in central Vietnam
  • M. g. saraburiensis in Thailand and Cambodia
  • M. g. versuricola in Cambodia and south Vietnam
  • M. g. condorensis on Con Son island, Vietnam
  • M. g. connectens in south Burma and adjacent Thailand
  • M. g. archipelagicus on Mergui Archipelago, Burma
  • M. g. inveteratus on coastal islands off Thailand and Cambodia
  • M. g. chersonesophilus in south Thailand and peninsular Malaysia
  • M. g. gularis in south peninsular Malaysia to Sumatra
  • M. g. woodi on Palawan and Balabac, Philippines
• Bold-striped Tit-Babbler
  • M. g. zoperhus on Anamba Islands, Malaysia
  • M. g. everetti on Bunguran, Natuna Islands
  • M. g. zaperissus on Natunas (without Bunguran)
  • M. g. argenteus on Banggi and Malawali Island off Borneo
  • M. g. cagayanensis on Cagayan Sulu
  • M. g. bornensis on Borneo (without Kinabalu region)
  • M. g. montanus around Mount Kinabalu, Borneo
  • M. g. javanicus on Java, Indonesia

The two groups are sometimes split with Bold-striped Tit-Babbler as Macronous bornensis.
Like all species of this genus the scientific name is also spelled Macronus.

[edit] Habitat

Bushes and undergrowth in open broadleaf evergreen, decidious and semi-evergreen forest, forest edge, logged areas and bamboo. Also in plantations and gardens. Up to 1000m in the Indian Subcontinent, up to 1525m in southeast Asia, 1200m in Sumatra and Borneo, 250m in Java.

[edit] Behaviour

Feeds on insects, takes also some fruit.
Singly or in pairs during breeding season, in groupfs of up to 12 or more birds outside breeding season. Often together with other species. Forages near the ground but climbs vine-laden trees up to 9m high.
Breeding season differs in range, generally from February to July. They build a loose ball shaped nest made from grasses and leaves. It's placed 0.3 - 3m above the ground in a bush, stemless palm, bamboo clump, pineapple plant or a hedge. 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