Indian Scimitar Babbler

Overview

The Indian scimitar babbler, Pomatorhinus horsfieldii, is an Old World babbler native to peninsular India. It is currently classified as a species of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, having been distinguished from the white-browed scimitar babbler and the Sri Lanka scimitar babbler.

Identification

• 22 cm long bird with a long, down-curved yellow bill that is blackish at the base of the upper mandible.
• Distinctive head pattern featuring a long white supercilium above a broad black band through the eye.
• White throat and breast contrasting with dark greyish brown upperparts and dark grey to black underparts.
• Produces a characteristic antiphonal duet consisting of a loud fluty 'oop-pu-pu-pu' followed immediately by a 'krukru', with the second note produced by the female in accurate synchrony.

Habitat

Found in peninsular India south of a line between Rajasthan and Orissa, primarily in forest and secondary growth in hilly regions. It is the only scimitar babbler present in peninsular India.

Diet

Feeds mainly on insects and berries, foraging through leaf litter and bark using its long bill. It hops on the ground, turning over leaves or probing for prey, and may occasionally join mixed-species foraging flocks.

Did you know?

This species was historically considered a subspecies of the white-browed scimitar babbler or the Sri Lanka scimitar babbler, but molecular studies have confirmed its distinct relatedness and supported its separation into a full species.