© Andrew Spencer
© Shailesh Pinto
© Alan Van Norman
© Ben Davis

Sri Lanka Scimitar-Babbler Pomatorhinus melanurus

Sign in to see your badges

Identification

POWERED BY MERLIN

A striking babbler, with a long, bright yellow-orange downcurved bill, bold white eyebrow, deep chestnut upperparts, and clean white underparts. Inhabits the understory of forested areas and nearby scrub in both the lowlands and mountains, where typically encountered in pairs, and often moving with mixed species flocks. Distinctive song comprised of staccato “yee-doo-doo-doo” notes, sometimes given in duet with the second bird uttering a strident “ker-trick”.

POWERED BY MERLIN