Jerdon's Babbler

Overview

Jerdon's Babbler (Chrysomma altirostre) is a passerine bird native to the wetlands and grasslands of the Indian subcontinent. Listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species is notably rare, with an estimated population of fewer than 10,000 adult birds.

Identification

• Measures 16–17 cm in length with a drab, buffy chestnut-brown upper body and lighter yellowish-brown belly.
• Possesses a long tail used for balancing and a bill that is thicker than typical warblers but not as heavy as parrotbills.
• Features greyish lores, throat, and breast, with redder tail and wing patches compared to the rest of the upper plumage.
• Song consists of a weak, 4- to 8-note warbling series such as 'chi-chi-chi-chew-chew-chew' or 'ih-ih-ih-ih chew', often ending with a drawn-out note.

Habitat

This species inhabits dense reedbeds and tall grasslands near river courses, typically favouring vegetation several meters high such as cogongrass, common reed, and reedmace. It is found across the Indian subcontinent, including the Indus River basin in Pakistan, the Terai region in Nepal and India, and the Ayeyarwady floodplains in Myanmar.

Diet

Foraging often involves perching nearly horizontally on reed stems and tearing open leaf sheaths to expose and eat small arthropods and other invertebrates. This behaviour produces a subdued crackling sound that can be heard from a distance.

Did you know?

The common name commemorates Thomas C. Jerdon, a surgeon-naturalist who first proposed the scientific name for the species in 1862.