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Chapin's Babbler - BirdForum Opus

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Alternative name: Chapin's Mountain-Babbler

Turdoides chapini

Kupeornis chapini

Identification

An inconspicuous Babbler of Central Africa, described in 1949 (18 - 19cm)1:

  • Blackish-chestnut cap
  • Pale rufous throat
  • Pale chestnut wing flash

Similar Species

Broadly similar to Red-collared Mountain Babbler, but much more inconspicuous.

Distribution

Found in mountains of the Albertine Rift region in Africa in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Restricted-range species and obviously rather rare, considered near-threatened due habitat loss (clearance for agriculture).1

Taxonomy

This is a polytypic species[2] consisting of 3 subspecies.

Subspecies

  • T. c. chapini:
  • T. c. nyombensis:
  • Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (Mt. Nyombe, Kivu)
  • T. c. kalindei:
  • Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (southwestern Itombwe highlands)

Has been considered conspecific with Red-collared Babbler.
Has also been placed in genus Lioptilus, but maybe closer related to Phyllanthus.1
Clements places this species now in genus Turdoides.

Habitat

Transitional broadleaf evergreen forest between 1000m and 1650m.1

Behaviour

No information about diet available. Usually seen in groups of up to ten birds, foraging in middle and upper storeys of forest. Often in bird waves.
Breeding season from May to June. No other data.
Resident species.1

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. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2021. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2021. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/

Recommended Citation

External Links

GSearch checked for 2020 platform.

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