Chestnut-capped babbler

The chestnut-capped babbler is placed as the sole species in the genus Timalia. It is divided into six subspecies with the following distribution:{{Cite web |title=2024 Citation & Checklist Downloads – Clements Checklist |url=https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/introduction/updateindex/october-2024/2024-citation-checklist-downloads/ |access-date=2025-02-24 |website=www.birds.cornell.edu}}

• T. p. bengalensis – lower Himalayas (Nepal, Assam and northwestern Myanmar)
• T. p. smithi – northern Myanmar to southern China, northern Thailand and northern Indochina
• T. p. intermedia – central and southern Myanmar to southwestern Thailand
• T. p. patriciae – western part of the central plains of Thailand
• T. p. dictator – eastern and southeastern Thailand to southern Indochina
• T. p. pileata – Java

This species is most closely related to the two Indian species, the tawny-bellied babbler and the dark-fronted babbler. Together they form a sister group to the rest of the species in the family Timaliidae.{{Cite journal |last1=Cai |first1=Tianlong |last2=Cibois |first2=Alice |last3=Alström |first3=Per |last4=Moyle |first4=Robert G. |last5=Kennedy |first5=Jonathan D. |last6=Shao |first6=Shimiao |last7=Zhang |first7=Ruiying |last8=Irestedt |first8=Martin |last9=Ericson |first9=Per G.P. |last10=Gelang |first10=Magnus |last11=Qu |first11=Yanhua |last12=Lei |first12=Fumin |last13=Fjeldså |first13=Jon |date=2019 |title=Near-complete phylogeny and taxonomic revision of the world's babblers (Aves: Passeriformes) |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1055790318302781 |journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution |language=en |volume=130 |pages=346–356 |doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2018.10.010|pmid=30321696 |bibcode=2019MolPE.130..346C |doi-access=free }}

The chestnut-capped babbler is a medium-sized (15.5–17 cm) babbler with a fairly long, wedge-shaped tail and a thick, black bill.{{Cite journal |last1=Collar |first1=Nigel |last2=Robson |first2=Craig |date=2020 |title=Chestnut-capped Babbler (Timalia pileata), version 1.0 |url=https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/chcbab1/cur/introduction |journal=Birds of the World |language=en |doi=10.2173/bow.chcbab1.01 |issn=2771-3105|url-access=subscription }} The plumage is unbarred brown with characteristic head markings: a chestnut-coloured crown and black eye mask contrasting with a white forehead and white eyebrow line.{{Cite book |last1=Grimmett |first1=Richard |url=https://www.natureclubsurat.org/wp-content/uploads/Birds-of-Indian-Subcontinent.pdf |title=Birds of the Indian Subcontinent: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and the Maldives |last2=Inskipp |first2=Carol |last3=Inskipp |first3=Tim |date=2012 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |isbn=978-1-4081-2763-6 |series=Helm Field Guides |location=London}}

This bird is native in Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The Sukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve in Nepal represents the western limit of its distribution.Baral, H.S., Inskipp, C. (2009) The Birds of Sukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve, Nepal. Our Nature (2009) 7: 56-81 [http://www.nepjol.info/nepal/index.php/ON/article/viewFile/2554/2278 download pdf] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721232549/http://www.nepjol.info/nepal/index.php/ON/article/viewFile/2554/2278# |date=2011-07-21 }}

The species is found in tall grass, reed beds and shrublands. It feeds on butterfly larvae, beetles and other insects. The bird breeds between February and October in India and between April and September in Southeast Asia. It probably lays several clutches.

The species has a large range and population, but is thought to be declining in numbers due to habitat destruction and fragmentation, although not sufficiently so to be considered threatened. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) therefore categorizes the species as "Least Concern". The global population has not been estimated, but it is described as locally common to uncommon.{{Cite book |last=del Hoyo |first=Josep |title=Picathartes to tits and chickadees |date=2007 |publisher=Lynx Ed |isbn=978-84-96553-42-2 |editor-last=Hoyo |editor-first=Josep del |series=Handbook of the birds of the world / hrsg. von Josep del Hoyo, Andrew Elliott, Jordi Sargatal |location=Barcelona}}

{{Reflist | refs =

{{cite web

| url = https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=558306

| title = ITIS Report Timalia

| access-date = 29 July 2014

| publisher = Integrated Taxonomic Information System }}

}}

• Collar, N. J., Robson, C. (2007) Family Timaliidae (Babblers) pp. 70 – 291 In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Christie, D.A. (eds.) Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol. 12: Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.

• [http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=7942&m=0 BirdLife International: chestnut-capped babbler]

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chestnut-capped babbler

Category:Birds of Southeast Asia

Category:Birds of Bangladesh

Category:Birds of Bhutan

Category:Birds of South China

Category:Birds of Nepal

Category:Birds of India

chestnut-capped babbler

Category:Taxonomy articles created by Polbot

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