Alternative names: Brown Wren-Babbler; Lesser Scaly-breasted Wren-Babbler; Pygmy Wren-Babbler
- Pnoepyga pusilla
Identification
With 7.5 - 9cm (3-3½ in) a tiny, almost tailless Babbler with two morphs.
Pale morph:
- From crown to rump greyish olive-brown with dark scaling
- Head side greyish olive-brown too, ear-coverts with pale shaft streaks
- Chin and throat white with narrow scaling
- Breast and belly white with scaly effect
Dark morph:
- Darker olive brown above
- White below replaced with ochre
Similar Species
Can be confused with Scaly-breasted Cupwing or Nepal Cupwing where ranges overlap.
Distribution
| Found in South-east-Asia.
In the Himalayas from Nepal over Sikkim and Bhutan to north-eastern India, including Hill States, Myanmar and to southern China. Also in Indochina, southern Vietnam, southern Thailand and the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, Flores and West Timor. Common in parts of its range.  | |
| Legend • P. p. pusilla; year-round |
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Clements3 accepts seven subspecies:
- P. p. pusilla in the Himalayas, Myanmar, China and N Thailand
- P. p. annamensis in Cambodia and S Vietnam
- P. p. harterti in S. Thailand and on the Malay Peninsula
- P. p. lepida on Sumatra
- P. p. rufa on Java
- P. p. everetti on Flores
- P. p. timorensis on Timor
The form of Timor may merit full species status.1
Habitat
Floor and understorey of broadleaf evergreen forest, mossy boulders, fallen logs, forest ravines, dense fern growth. Generally found between 200 and 3050m. Found in similar habitat like Scaly-breasted Wren Babbler but on lower altitudes.1
Behaviour
More often heard than seen.
Diet
Forages on the ground, sometimes up to 2m in trees, feeding on ants, other insects and spiders.
Breeding
Breeding season differs through range, March to September in northern parts, July to May in Java, November to December in Sumatra. The nest is a ball of moss or a built-in structure made of long strands of green moss, the inner part formed to a cup. It's placed in moss, orchids, ferns or creepers hanging down from large trees, close to the ground. Lays 2 - 6 eggs.
Movements
Resident species with some local altitudinal movements.1
Vocalisation
The characteristic three blind mice song of this bird (sometimes it'll sing just the first two notes).
Recordings by china guy, Sichuan, China, August 2011
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, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2022. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2022. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Gill, F, D Donsker, and P Rasmussen (Eds). 2023. IOC World Bird List (v 13.2). Doi 10.14344/IOC.ML.13.2. http://www.worldbirdnames.org/
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Pygmy Cupwing. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 27 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Pygmy_Cupwing
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
