Bornean Wren-Babbler Ptilocichla leucogrammica Scientific name definitions

15–16 cm; 37–42 g. Crown is dull olive-brown with vague blackish scaling, upperparts uniform chestnut-brown, more intensely chestnut on upperwing and very fluffy rump, tail blackish-chestnut; head side mottled and streaked; chin, submoustachial area and throat whitish with tiny black tips, with broken black malar line, breast to belly black with broad white round-ended stripes, all shading to dull ochrous-chestnut on lower flanks, thighs and vent; iris dark brown; upper mandible black, lower mandible pale grey; legs grey. Differs from similar Striated Wren-Babbler (Ptilocichla mindanensis) in larger size, much longer bill and neck, more contrasting dark cap, more chestnut upperparts, shorter white stripes on black underparts. Sexes similar. Juvenile is less rufescent above than adult, crown lightly streaked.

Borneo.

Primary, secondary and sometimes recently logged lowland broadleaf evergreen dipterocarp forest, peatswamp-forest dominated by Shorea alba, and upland heath forest, at 40–600 m; recorded once in seven-year-old Albizia plantation. Found especially in gulleys and along dry creeks. Almost certainly intolerant of serious habitat degradation, as densities greatly reduced in logged forest compared with primary forest.

Small insects found in two stomachs. Forages in pairs and family parties on forest floor and among herb layer; probes under leaves, on dead logs and among rotting treefalls.

Song consists of 2 mournful, pure-tone whistles given reportedly in antiphonal duet by territorial pair from perch near ground, “doo-dee” or “doo-doo-dee”. Call a spluttering “churr” or “prr prr”.

VULNERABLE. Rare and local. Highly sensitive to forest disturbance by logging, and disappears completely with forest clearance. Destruction and degradation of lowland forest in Borneo have led to loss of almost all primary areas in the past several decades; of 40 known sites for this species, only nine involve post-1980 records. This species is perhaps particularly disadvantaged because it is probably little able to disperse through inappropriate habitat, leading to highly isolated populations. Known from Danum Valley Conservation Area and Tabun Wildlife Reserve, in Sabah; Gunung Mulu, Batang Ai and Similajau National Parks and Samunsam Reserve, in Sarawak; Ulu Temburong National Park, in Brunei; and Kayan Mentarang, Kutai and Gunung Palung National Parks, in Kalimantan.