Family Ground Babblers (Pellorneidae)
Near Threatened
Sooty-capped Babbler (Malacopteron affine)
Taxonomy
French: Akalat affin German: Schwarzscheitel-Zweigdrossling Spanish: Tordina coronioscura
Taxonomy:
Tr[ichastoma]. affine
Blyth
, 1842,Singapore
.
Subspecies and Distribution
M. a. affine
(Blyth, 1842) – S Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra (including Banyak Is and Bangka#R).
M. a. phoeniceum
Deignan, 1950 – Borneo.
Descriptive notes
15–17 cm; 14–21 g. Rather dark-backed hook-billed babbler with contrasting whitish underside, vague grey breastband, and dull chestnut tail. Nominate race has... read more
Voice
Song of two types. First a series of usually 6–9 clear, slow, airy, rising and falling... read more
Habitat
Edges and naturally disturbed areas of primary broadleaf evergreen forest, e.g. along rivers or... read more
Food and feeding
Ants (Formicidae), beetles (Coleoptera) and caterpillars. Average foraging height 6·5 m. Gleans from foliage. Often in small parties in... read more
Breeding
Apr–May in SE Asia; in Borneo, nest-building in Oct in Brunei, breeding in Jun–Oct and Jan in Sabah, and juveniles May–... read more
Movements
Resident.
Status and conservation
Not globally threatened. Currently considered Near Threatened. Rare to locally common in continental part of range; common in Taman Negara National Park, in Peninsular... read more
Often treated as monotypic, but race phoeniceum appears sufficiently distinctive to warrant recognition. Possible geographical differences in voice require further research#R. Birds from Banyak Is (off W Sumatra) separated as race notatum on basis of size difference, but this was later shown to be non-existent. Two subspecies recognized.