- Macronous gularis
Identification
11 - 12cm. A small, variable Babbler.
- Yellowish, whitish or olive breast with fine to heavy black streaks
- Rufous to brown or grey crown
- Some subspecies with yellow supercilium, other with greyish to olive supercilium
- Rufous to olive or brown upperparts
- Greyish, yellow or olive underparts
- Yellow iris, not well visible in gularis
Distribution
Found from Nepal, Bhutan and northeast and east India and Bangladesh to Burma, south China, Thailand, Indochina, peninsular Malaysia (including Singapore where very common), Sumatra and southwest Philippines.
Common and widespread in most of its range.
Taxonomy
Fourteen subspecies accepted:
- M. g. rubicapilla in Nepal, Bhutan northeast and eastcentral India and Bangladesh
- M. g. ticehursti in Burma
- M. g. sulphureus in Burma, Thailand and south China (Yunnan)
- M. g. lutescens in Burma, Thailand, south China, Laos and north Vietnam
- M. g. kinneari in central Vietnam
- M. g. saraburiensis in Thailand and Cambodia
- M. g. versuricola in Cambodia and south Vietnam
- M. g. condorensis on Con Son island, Vietnam
- M. g. connectens in south Burma and adjacent Thailand
- M. g. archipelagicus on Mergui Archipelago, Burma
- M. g. inveteratus on coastal islands off Thailand and Cambodia
- M. g. chersonesophilus in south Thailand and peninsular Malaysia
- M. g. gularis in south peninsular Malaysia to Sumatra
- M. g. woodi on Palawan and Balabac, Philippines
Was formerly considered conspecific with Bold-striped Tit-Babbler.
Like all species of this genus the scientific name is also spelled Macronus.
Habitat
Bushes and undergrowth in open broadleaf evergreen, decidious and semi-evergreen forest, forest edge, logged areas and bamboo. Also in plantations and gardens. Up to 1000m in the Indian Subcontinent, up to 1525m in southeast Asia, 1200m in Sumatra.
Behaviour
Feeds on insects, takes also some fruit.
Singly or in pairs during breeding season, in groupfs of up to 12 or more birds outside breeding season. Often together with other species. Forages near the ground but climbs vine-laden trees up to 9m high.
Breeding season differs in range, generally from February to July. They build a loose ball shaped nest made from grasses and leaves. It's placed 0.3 - 3m above the ground in a bush, stemless palm, bamboo clump, pineapple plant or a hedge. Lays 2 - 5 eggs.
Resident species.
References
- Clements, JF. 2010. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2010. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/Clements%206.5.xls/view
- 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
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Pin-striped Tit-Babbler. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 28 September 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Pin-striped_Tit-Babbler
