Chestnut-backed Scimitar-Babbler (Pomatorhinus montanus)

Other Names (World)
Chestnut-backed Scimitar-Babbler, Yellow-billed Scimitar-babbler, Chestnut-backed Scimitar Babbler

Family
Timaliidae (Scimitar-babblers And Allies)

Size
19 - 21 cm

First Described (Guide)
Horsfield, 1821

Habitat
Primary and secondary lowland dipterocarp to lower montane forest. From sea-level - 2,200 m.

Range (Guide)

Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand.

Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).

Status LC
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Habits
Gleans bark and foliage in mid to upper storey. Often forms mixed feeding flocks.

Voice
Song is a low-pitched four-note 'grrt-pu-put-pweet', thefirst note a short, quiet growl, the midle notes louder hoots and the last longest and upslurred. Also a resonant 'hwu-hu-hu', the first note higher. A short, mellow, evenly-pitched 'wup-wup-woo'.

Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (23)...)

Javan Scimitar Babbler (Pomatorhinus montanus) [XC166739]
by Ross Gallardy from Gunung Rinjani, above Senaru, Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia (song)

Javan Scimitar Babbler (Pomatorhinus montanus) [XC410373]
by Ross Gallardy from Licin, Kabupaten Banyuwangi, Jawa Timur, Indonesia (call)

Nest
Large, ball-shaped, composed of grasses and leaves.

Eggs (Guide)
2 - 3; glossy white.

Subspecies
May be close to White-browed Scimitar-babbler (Pomatorhinus schisticeps). Subspecies occidentalis and bornensis smaller and brighter than Javan ones, and study of differences, including vocal ones, required. Situation further complicated, however, by evidence that in Java and Sumatra, at least, upland birds are precocious, flocking and noisy, whereas lowland populations in Sumatra, Borneo and Peninsular Malaysia are skulking, unsociable and thought possibly to produce only the triple hooting call.

The following 4 subspecies are recognised:

occidentalis Robinson & Kloss, 1923 - Extreme southern Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra.
bornensis Cabanis, 1850 - Bangka I and Borneo.
montanus Horsfield, 1821 - Western and central Java.
ottolanderi Robinson, 1918 - Eastern Java and Bali.

References
See References.

Files:

JPG files for Chestnut-backed Scimitar-Babbler (Pomatorhinus montanus) - 10 files

More Information

BirdLife International

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BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

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