Rail-babbler

Eupetes macrocerus

(Photo from Astronomy to Zoology)

Common name:
rail-babbler (en); tordo-de-cauda-comprida (pt); eupète à longue queue (fr); zordala colilarga (es); rallenflöter (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Cinclosomatidae

Range:
This species has two disjunct subspecies, E.m. macrocerus is found in southern Thailand, peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra, while E.m. borneensis is only found in the island of Borneo.

Size:
These birds are 28-30 cm long and weigh 66-72 g.

Habitat:
The rail-babbler is mostly found in tall, primary rainforests, also using swamp forests, logged forests with closed canopy and heath forests. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.060 m.

Diet:
They forage on the ground, taking insects such as cicadas and beetles, as well as spiders.

Breeding:
Rail-babblers breed in January-June. The nest is a shallow cup made of plant fibres, placed on the forest floor on top of accumulated dead leaves. There the female lays 2 eggs. There is no available information regarding the incubation and fledging periods.

Conservation:
IUCN status - NT (Near-Threatened)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as scarce to fairly common over much of its range, although locally numerous. Although precise data on population trends are lacking, a moderately rapid and on-going decline is likely to be occurring as a result of habitat loss and degradation across its range.