Crescent-chested Babbler Cyanoderma melanothorax Scientific name definitions

13 cm. Small, rather long-billed Stachyris babbler, ochrous-brown above, with rufous wings, pale below, with black crescent across breast. Nominate race has crown dull rufous-brown, nape to rump warm ochrous-brown, greater upperwing-coverts and primary coverts pale rufous-chestnut, primaries and secondaries edged paler rufous-chestnut, tail with rufous-chestnut tinge; side of face (lores, supercilium, ear-coverts, cheek) and neck side pale grey, blackish mark under ear-coverts; chin and throat creamy white, blackish crescent on upper breast, centre of breast creamy white, shading greyer below and to buffish-ochre on belly, lower flanks, thighs and vent; iris brown; bill dark brown; legs brown. Sexes similar. Juvenile apparently undescribed. Race albigula is darker above than nominate, with paler grey ear-coverts and almost pure white throat; mendeni is colder olive-brown above, crown pale, throat as previous, grey on breast pale, and lower underparts with little buff-ochre tint; baliense has throat light buff, breast rusty buff, slightly larger bill; intermedium is intermediate between nominate and previous, having mid-breast sandy buff and chin and throat white (not buff).

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Dense thickets and thick scrub usually at forest edge, monsoon forest, wooded areas around villages; sea-level to1500 m.

Resident.

Spiders (Araneae) and insects. Forages in parties, occasionally associating with Stachyris thoracica and S. grammiceps, and sometimes in bird waves. Uses feeding techniques typical of genus, such as investigating dead leaf tangles. Seen as high as c. 10 m in canopy.

Song a quick rolling piping trill, “phr’r’r’r’r’r’r’” or “puw’w’w’w’w’w” (recalling that of C. erythropterum), accompanied by harsh low churring calls (presumably from female), e.g. “tchrrrr’t”, “tr’r’r’r’t” or “tchrrrr’rt”.

Recorded in all months except Jul (peak May–Jun in W Java). Nest a hollow dome with large side entrance near top, made of rattan, palm leaves, leaf ribs, rootlets, fibres and grass, placed close to ground. Clutch 2–3 eggs, white. Nests parasitized by Square-tailed Drongo-cuckoo (Surniculus lugubris). No other information.

Not globally threatened. Restricted-range species: present in Java and Bali Forests EBA. Generally common. Common in Gunung Gede-Pangrango National Park and present in Ujung Kulon National Park, both in W Java; present also in Alas Purwo National Park, in E Java.