Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler - BirdForum Opus

Alternative name: Salvadori's Scimitar-Babbler

Pomatorhinus erythrogenys

Identification

22 - 26cm. A rather large Scimitar-Babbler:

• Broadly orange-rufous from forehead and face to flanks and vent
• Whitish throat and belly
• Small black malar
• Long whitish-horn bill
• Pale eye surrounded by dark blue bare skin and white spots

Sexes similar, juveniles paler above with duller rufous parts.

Similar species

Large Scimitar-Babbler has dark eye and grey flanks. Spot-breasted Scimitar-Babbler has blackish spots on breast.

Distribution

This depends on the authorities followed:

• HBW and Rasmussen^[1],[2]:
  • From northeast Pakistan over the Himalayas to Bhutan and in eastern Burma and northwest Thailand
• Clements^[3]:
  • Mountains of Burma and Thailand

Common in parts of its range.

Taxonomy

Clements treats this species as monotypic. Others include three other unspotted subspecies which Clements includes in Spot-breasted Scimitar-Babbler or doesn't recognize at all. To complete the confusion Clements gives other ranges for the subspecies than the HBW.

• Clements^[3]:
  • P. e. erythrogenys in the Himalayas of central Burma and nw Thailand
• HBW^[1]:
  • P. e. erythrogenys from northeast Pakistan east to north India (Uttaranchal Pradesh)
  • P. e. ferrugilatus from Nepal east to Bhutan
  • P. e. imberbis in eastern Burma
  • P. e. celatus in northwest Thailand

Both species, Rusty-cheeked and Spot-breasted Scimitar-Babbler are also sometimes regarded conspecific. Further study is required to solve the taxonomy of this complex.

Habitat

Thick scrub and dense undergrowth at forest edge, scrub in open pine forest, secondary growths, thickets and bush-covered hillsides. Found at 300m up to 2400m, sometimes up to 3000m.

Behaviour

Feeds on insects, larvae, seeds and berries.
Usually seen in pairs in summer and in small groups of up to 12 birds in the rest of the year. Seldom in bird-waves. Mostly seen on the ground.
Breeding season February to Jul. The nest is a loose dome with a broad entrance. It's made of coarse grasses, dry fern, bamboo and other leaves and placed on the ground, sheltered by vegetation or rocks or in a thick bush up to 1.2m above the ground. Lays 2 - 4 eggs.
Resident species.

References

1. 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
2. Rasmussen, PC and JC Anderton. 2005. Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8487334672
3. 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.

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 17 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Rusty-cheeked_Scimitar_Babbler

External Links

Search for photos of Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler in the gallery