Wildlifeof Singapore
Abbott's Babbler
Pellorneidae
Photo: Francesco Veronesi · CC BY-SA 2.0 (May be cropped or resized)
Malacocincla abbotti
Basic stats
Diet
Invertebrates
Habitat
Dense undergrowth close to the ground, often near streams, tree ferns and tangled vegetation; up to 600m; bulky cup nest low in palms or undergrowth
Range
Along the Himalaya in South Asia and into the forests of Southeast Asia
Clutch size
3–5 bright salmon eggs with dark blotches and red lines
Size
12–13cm
Abbott's babbler is a nondescript, brown, short-tailed, stout babbler 12–13 cm long, with a head of 39–44 mm and a tail of 55–61 mm. It forages in pairs in dense undergrowth close to the ground, often near streams and in the vicinity of tree ferns and tangled vegetation, and its presence is usually indicated by its distinctive calls. It is widely distributed along the Himalaya in South Asia and into the forests of Southeast Asia (Wikipedia, general species account).
It breeds from April to July, in a carefully placed but bulky cup nest low in palms or other undergrowth; a study in Thailand found most nests in spiny palms and rattans. When disturbed at the nest the birds slip over the edge, fly with laboured wingbeats and then hop out of sight. The usual clutch is three to five eggs (Wikipedia, general species account).
Quick answers
- What does the Abbott's Babbler eat?
- Invertebrates
- What habitat does the Abbott's Babbler live in?
- Dense undergrowth close to the ground, often near streams, tree ferns and tangled vegetation; up to 600m; bulky cup nest low in palms or undergrowth
- Where is the Abbott's Babbler found?
- Along the Himalaya in South Asia and into the forests of Southeast Asia
- How many eggs does the Abbott's Babbler lay?
- 3–5 bright salmon eggs with dark blotches and red lines
- How big is the Abbott's Babbler?
- 12–13cm