Family Old World Warblers and Parrotbills (Sylviidae)
Least Concern
Rufous-tailed Babbler (Moupinia poecilotis)
Taxonomy
French: Moupinie à couronne rousse German: Rostschwanz-Grasmücke Spanish: Timalí colirrufo
Taxonomy:
Alcippe pœcilotis
J. P. Verreaux
, 1871,#R, “les montagnes du Thibet chinois” = Muping [Paohing], south-east Xizang, China
.Distribution:
S Gansu, Sichuan and NW Yunnan, in S China.
Descriptive notes
15 cm. Small babbler, brown above, whitish to buff below, with rusty wings and long tail, short bill with decurved upper mandible. Crown, nape and upper back are dull mid-... read more
Voice
Song, given with throat puffed out, a clear, quickly delivered “phu pwiii” (sounding... read more
Habitat
Grass, thickets near streams, scrubby hillsides, at 1500–3300 m, occasionally to 3700 m.
Food and feeding
Invertebrates. Rather sluggish when foraging, usually in very dense undergrowth 2–3 m above ground. Will sit up in the open.
Breeding
Jun–Jul. Nest described as a cup made of leaves, twigs and bark, lined with wool and grass, placed 0·3 m above ground in small... read more
Movements
Resident.
Status and conservation
Not globally threatened. Fairly common to common. A relatively poorly known species.
Birds from NW Yunnan sometimes recognized as race sordidior. Monotypic.