Mourning Babbler
Pellorneum malaccense
Near Threatened
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XC736180 · chito · Kahayan Tengah, Pulang Pisau Regency, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia · CC0 1.0
Overview
The mourning babbler, Pellorneum malaccense, is a species of bird in the ground babbler family Pellorneidae, formerly known as the short-tailed babbler. It is considered monotypic with no recognised subspecies and was previously classified as conspecific with the glissando and leaflitter babblers. Despite being locally common, the species is classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN due to habitat loss.
Habitat
The species inhabits tropical moist lowland forests across the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and several surrounding island groups, including the Anambas, Banyak, Batu, Riau, Lingga, and Natuna Islands. Its range covers these areas, where it is found within its natural forested environment.
Diet
This bird forages in the understory on the ground, typically as a single or in pairs, feeding on a variety of insects such as beetles, grasshoppers, and ants. It exhibits an unusual behaviour for passerines by using its foot to grasp food items.
Did you know?
Unlike most passerine birds, the mourning babbler possesses the unusual ability to use its foot to grasp food items. It generally remains solitary and does not join larger mixed-species flocks, preferring to forage alone or as a pair.
Sources
- Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wikidata · CC0 1.0