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Passeriformes
Family
Pellorneidae
Genus
Turdinus
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Marbled Wren-Babbler Turdinus marmoratus Scientific name definitions

Nigel Collar and Craig Robson
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated January 1, 2007

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Originally Appeared in

HBW Alive

Field Identification

21·5 cm. Large, sturdy babbler with prominent scaling above and below. Has crown to back deep warm brown with blackish scaling, rump plainer, more chestnut-tinged and very fluffy, upperwing and tail dull rufescent brown; lores whitish, face (supercilium, cheek, ear-coverts) and neck side chestnut, chin and throat white, black scaling on lower throat; submoustachial area black with white flecks, adjoining black breast to belly with narrow white scaling, all becoming dull ochrous-chestnut on lower flanks, thighs and vent; iris chestnut; bill black; legs black, often with brownish tinge. Sexes similar. Juvenile has rufous shaft streaks on head and mantle, broadening towards tips, underparts dark brownish-grey with slight rufous tips becoming buffier on belly, so that scaled pattern very indistinct. Race grandior is slightly larger than nominate.

Systematics History

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies

SUBSPECIES

Turdinus marmoratus grandior Scientific name definitions

Distribution

(1)Peninsular Malaysia.
SUBSPECIES

Turdinus marmoratus marmoratus Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Sumatra.

Distribution

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.

Habitat

Lower montane broadleaf evergreen forest; at 610–1220 m in Peninsular Malaysia, 1000–2000 m in W Sumatra.

Movement

Resident.

Diet and Foraging

Insects, including beetles (Coleoptera) and grubs; sometimes fallen berries and small fruits. Forages on or near ground, in undergrowth, often in damp areas. Very shy and secretive.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Sings with clear double or single whistle, “puuu-chiiii”, “pyuuu-jhiiii” or “puuui-jhiiii”, with higher, somewhat rising first note and lower, buzzier second note; like T. macrodactylus. Also “piuuu-whiiii” and “uuuui-jhiii” or single “piuuu”.

Breeding

No information.

Conservation Status

Conservation status on Birdlife LC Least Concern
Not globally threatened. Restricted-range species: present in Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia EBA. Rare and local in Peninsular Malaysia. Present in Gunung Leuser and Kerinci Seblat National Parks, in Sumatra. Formerly considered Near-threatened.
Distribution of the Marbled Wren-Babbler - Range Map
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  • Year-round
  • Migration
  • Breeding
  • Non-Breeding
Distribution of the Marbled Wren-Babbler

eBird and Macaulay Library

Recommended Citation

Collar, N. and C. Robson (2020). Marbled Wren-Babbler (Turdinus marmoratus), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.mawbab1.01
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