Indian Scimitar Babbler
Encyclopedia
The Indian Scimitar-babbler, Pomatorhinus horsfieldii, is an Old World babbler
. It is found in peninsular India and is found in a range of forest habitats. They are most often detected by their distinctive call which is an antiphonal duet produced by pairs within small groups. They are often hard to see as they forage through dense vegetation. The long curve yellow, scimitar
-shaped bills give them their name. It has been treated in the past as subspecies of the White-browed Scimitar-babbler
which is found along the Himalayas but now separated into two species, the peninsular Indian species and the Sri Lanka Scimitar-babbler
(Pomatorhinus melanurus).
Indian Scimitar-babblers have long down-curved yellow bills, used to work through the leaf litter in search of their food which is mainly insects and berries. They can be difficult to observe in the dense vegetation they prefer, but like many other babblers, these are noisy birds, and the characteristic bubbling calls are often the best indication that these birds are present. The call itself consists of a loud fluty oop-pu-pu-pu followed immediately by a krukru. The second note is produced by the female and the duet is accurately synchronized. Leucistic plumages have been recorded.
bird
s characterised by soft fluffy plumage. They are birds of tropical areas, with the greatest variety in southeast Asia
. This species is very close to the Ceylon Scimitar-babbler which has in the past been treated as a subspecies. In the past, this species has been considered as a subspecies of the White-browed Scimitar-babbler
(Pomatorhinus schisticeps) which is found along the Himalayan foothills.
There are several races that have been noted, race travancoreensis is found in the Western Ghats
south of Goa and is darker (see Gloger's Rule
). The nominate horsfieldii is found in the plains in the southern part of the peninsula. The race obscurus of the dry zone in the northwest (Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat; possibly Orissa) is lighter and greyer. Race maderaspatensis of the Eastern Ghats
is intermediate in plumage between the nominate form and obscurus. Race maderaspatensis lacks the black base to the upper mandible and the bill is shorter. It has been recorded from the Palkonda Hills, Nallamalai Hills
, Kurumbapatti and Shevaroy Hills
.
The Sri Lankan form that was considered as a race melanurus is raised to a species by recent works that note the distinctive calls. The Sri Lankan forms however appears to respond to the call of the Indian form and may need further study.
) bird. Its habitat is forest and secondary growth mainly in the hilly regions. They feed on insects on the ground or on vegetation. Hopping on the ground, they may turn over leaves or probe in leaf litter for prey. They may sometimes join mixed-species foraging flocks.
They breed from December to May. The nest is large and loose globular mass of foliage concealed in a bush on the ground or low down. They usually lay three eggs (but varies from two to four) which are pure white in colour.
Old World babbler
The Old World babblers or timaliids are a large family of mostly Old World passerine birds. They are rather diverse in size and coloration, but are characterised by soft fluffy plumage. These are birds of tropical areas, with the greatest variety in Southeast Asia and the Indian Subcontinent...
. It is found in peninsular India and is found in a range of forest habitats. They are most often detected by their distinctive call which is an antiphonal duet produced by pairs within small groups. They are often hard to see as they forage through dense vegetation. The long curve yellow, scimitar
Scimitar
A scimitar is a backsword or sabre with a curved blade, originating in Southwest Asia .The Arabic term saif translates to "sword" in general, but is normally taken to refer to the scimitar type of curved backsword in particular.The curved sword or "scimitar" was widespread throughout the Muslim...
-shaped bills give them their name. It has been treated in the past as subspecies of the White-browed Scimitar-babbler
White-browed Scimitar-babbler
The White-browed Scimitar-babbler is a species of bird in the Timaliidae family.It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam....
which is found along the Himalayas but now separated into two species, the peninsular Indian species and the Sri Lanka Scimitar-babbler
Sri Lanka Scimitar-babbler
The Sri Lanka Scimitar-babbler or Ceylon Scimitar-babbler is an Old World babbler. It is endemic to the island of Sri Lanka, and was formerly treated as a subspecies of Indian Scimitar-babbler...
(Pomatorhinus melanurus).
Description
The most distinctive feature of this 22 cm long bird is the long down-curved yellow bill which is blackish at the base of the upper mandible. It has a striking head pattern, with a long white supercilum above a broad black band through the eye. The white throat and breast contrast with the dark greyish brown on the upperside and dark grey to black on most of the underside. The tail is broad, long and graduated. They have short, round wings and being weak fliers are rarely seen flying in the open.Indian Scimitar-babblers have long down-curved yellow bills, used to work through the leaf litter in search of their food which is mainly insects and berries. They can be difficult to observe in the dense vegetation they prefer, but like many other babblers, these are noisy birds, and the characteristic bubbling calls are often the best indication that these birds are present. The call itself consists of a loud fluty oop-pu-pu-pu followed immediately by a krukru. The second note is produced by the female and the duet is accurately synchronized. Leucistic plumages have been recorded.
Distribution
It is the only scimitar-babbler in Peninsular India. This species is found south of Rajasthan and Orissa.Taxonomy and systematics
The Old World babblers are a large family of passerinePasserine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s characterised by soft fluffy plumage. They are birds of tropical areas, with the greatest variety in southeast Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. This species is very close to the Ceylon Scimitar-babbler which has in the past been treated as a subspecies. In the past, this species has been considered as a subspecies of the White-browed Scimitar-babbler
White-browed Scimitar-babbler
The White-browed Scimitar-babbler is a species of bird in the Timaliidae family.It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam....
(Pomatorhinus schisticeps) which is found along the Himalayan foothills.
There are several races that have been noted, race travancoreensis is found in the Western Ghats
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
south of Goa and is darker (see Gloger's Rule
Gloger's rule
Gloger's Rule is a zoological rule which states that within a species of endotherms, more heavily pigmented forms tend to be found in more humid environments, e.g. near the equator. It was named after the zoologist Constantin Wilhelm Lambert Gloger, who first remarked upon this phenomenon in 1833...
). The nominate horsfieldii is found in the plains in the southern part of the peninsula. The race obscurus of the dry zone in the northwest (Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat; possibly Orissa) is lighter and greyer. Race maderaspatensis of the Eastern Ghats
Eastern Ghats
The Eastern Ghats or Eastern Ghauts are a discontinuous range of mountains along India's eastern coast. The Eastern Ghats run from West Bengal state in the north, through Orissa and Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu in the south passing some parts of Karnataka. They are eroded and cut through by the...
is intermediate in plumage between the nominate form and obscurus. Race maderaspatensis lacks the black base to the upper mandible and the bill is shorter. It has been recorded from the Palkonda Hills, Nallamalai Hills
Nallamalai Hills
The Nallamalas are a section of the Eastern Ghats which stretch primarily over Kurnool, Mahabubnagar, Guntur, Prakasam and Kadapa districts of the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. They run in a nearly north-south alignment, parallel to the Coromandel Coast for close to 430 km between the...
, Kurumbapatti and Shevaroy Hills
Shevaroy Hills
Shevaroys is the anglicised name for the Servarayan which lie near the town of Salem in Tamil Nadu, India. It is a detached hill range, covering an area of 50 sq. m., with plateaus from 4000 to 5000 ft. above sea-level. They include the sanatorium and several old coffee plantations...
.
The Sri Lankan form that was considered as a race melanurus is raised to a species by recent works that note the distinctive calls. The Sri Lankan forms however appears to respond to the call of the Indian form and may need further study.
Behaviour and ecology
The Indian Scimitar-babbler is a resident breeder (non-migratoryBird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
) bird. Its habitat is forest and secondary growth mainly in the hilly regions. They feed on insects on the ground or on vegetation. Hopping on the ground, they may turn over leaves or probe in leaf litter for prey. They may sometimes join mixed-species foraging flocks.
They breed from December to May. The nest is large and loose globular mass of foliage concealed in a bush on the ground or low down. They usually lay three eggs (but varies from two to four) which are pure white in colour.