Black-crowned Babbler - BirdForum Opus

Alternative name: Black-crowned Tree-Babbler

Sterrhoptilus nigrocapitatus

Includes: Calabarzon Babbler, Visayan Babbler

Identification

13 - 14cm. A small dullish babbler.

• Grey-brown above
• Whitish below
• Slightly crested black crown
• Rusty malar
• Yellowish throat

Sexes similar.

Juveniles have a brownish crown.

Distribution

Endemic to the Philippines.
Fairly common in parts of its range, but patchily distributed.

Resident species.

Taxonomy

Also placed in genus Stachyris.

Subspecies affinis may be split as "Calabarzon Babbler", S. affinis. Subspecies boholensis and nigrocapitata may be split as "Visayan Babbler", S. nigrocapitatus.

Subspecies

Taxa we include here which Clements recognises [1]:

• S. n. nigrocapitata: "Visayan Babbler". Samar and Leyte
• S. n. affinis: "Calabarzon Babbler". Luzon
• S. n. boholensis: "Visayan Babbler". Bohol

Habitat

Undergrowth in moist lowland forests. Found at 100m - 1140m.

Behaviour

Usually seen singly, in pairs or small groups, often together with other species.

Diet

No information about diet. Feeds probably on invertebrates and some vegetable matter.
Forages in lower branches of trees where it hunts slowly and methodical. Hunts by foliage-gleaning and by disturbing insects around dead leaves trapped in canopy of small trees.

Breeding

Breeding season probably April to July. The nest is a deep cup made of moss and fine black fibres. It's suspended between small twigs of a bush or sapling, around 1.2m above the ground. Lays 3 eggs.

References

1. Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
2. Avibase
3. 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

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Black-crowned Babbler. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 17 September 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Black-crowned_Babbler

External Links

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