Family Scimitar-babblers and allies (Timaliidae)

Least Concern

Red-billed Scimitar-babbler (Pomatorhinus ochraceiceps)

figure, drawing, illustration of Red-billed Scimitar-babbler (Pomatorhinus ochraceiceps)

Taxonomy

French: Pomatorhin à bec rouge German: Rotschnabelsäbler Spanish: Cimitarra piquirroja
Other common names: Orange-billed Scimitar-babbler, Long-billed Scimitar-babbler
Taxonomy:

Pomatorhinus ochraceiceps

Walden

, 1873,

Karen Hills, Upper Myanmar

.

Four subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution
  • P. o. stenorhynchus Godwin-Austen, 1877 – extreme NE India (E Arunachal Pradesh) and extreme N Myanmar.
  • P. o. austeni A. O. Hume, 1881 – NE India (Meghalaya E to Nagaland and S to Mizoram), SE Bangladesh and N Myanmar.
  • P. o. ochraceiceps Walden, 1873 – SE Myanmar (including N Tenasserim), NW Thailand, S China (S Yunnan) and N Indochina.
  • P. o. alius Riley, 1940 – N Thailand, S Laos and Vietnam (C & S Annam).

    • Descriptive notes

    22–24 cm; 33–38 g. Distinctive, with long decurved orange bill. Nominate race has crown and upperparts, upperwing and tail rufescent mid-brown; long supercilium... read more

    Voice

    Highly vocal; groups give variety of mellow and harsh notes. Song a hurried staccato hollow piping... read more

    Habitat

    Broadleaf evergreen forest, bamboo clumps, in Laos also Fokienia-dominated forest. Found... read more

    Food and feeding

    Invertebrates, including snails, caterpillars and beetles (Coleoptera); also nectar and seeds. Keeps in pairs or parties of up to six or so... read more

    Breeding

    Mar–Jul. Nest an oval ball made of broad grass blades, bamboo leaves and a few other dead leaves, loosely put together, lined with... read more

    Movements

    Resident.

    Status and conservation

    Not globally threatened. Uncommon in NE hills in India; fairly common in Namdapha National Park (Arunachal Pradesh). Evidently very localized and rare in Bangladesh. Uncommon... read more

    Recommended citation

    Collar, N. & Robson, C. (2019). Red-billed Scimitar-babbler (Pomatorhinus ochraceiceps). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/59459 on 19 February 2019).