Alternative names: Spotted Short-tailed Wren-Babbler; Spotted Wren; Spotted Wren Babbler
- Elachura formosa
Identification
10cm (4 in). A tiny short-tailed Wren-Babbler:
- Dark brown
- Entirely peppered with white specks
- Heavy black bars on rufescent wings and tail
Sexes similar, juveniles blackish-brown overall with more prominent white spots.
Distribution
Found from easter Nepal east over Bhutan to northeast India, northeast Bangladesh, north and west Burma, southeast China (Yunnan to Hunan, Fujian and Guangdong), north and central Laos and north Vietnam.
Only one record from Nepal (1984) and no recent records in Bangladesh. Infrequently encountered in most of its range.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species.
A recently discovered population in Laos without white spotting on throat and breast may represent a separate subspecies.
Formerly placed in the genus Spelaeornis but now in its own genus and family.
Habitat
Undergrowth and dense thickets in temperate and subtropical broadleaf evergreen forest. Often in thick fern cover or open steep-sided gulleys with tangles of twigs and weeds. At 300 - 2400m in the Indian Subcontinent, 1100 - 2150m in China and 480 - 1975m in southeast Asia.
Behaviour
Diet
Feeds on insects.
Breeding
Breeding season in April and May. One reported nest was a semi-domed cup of leaves, dead grass, roots and other material. It was placed on the ground and contained 3 - 4 eggs.
Movements
Resident species. Some altitudinal movement in Bhutan reported.
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
- Rasmussen, PC and JC Anderton. 2005. Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8487334672
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2014. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.9., with updates to August 2014. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Gill, F and D Donsker (Eds). 2014. IOC World Bird Names (version 4.3). Available at http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Spotted Elachura. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 3 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Spotted_Elachura
