Rufous-capped Babbler

Stachyris ruficeps praecognita

Endemic Subspecies

The Rufous-capped Babbler is a very small (11 cm), active bird with a chestnut red cap, grayish olive upperparts and light olive-buff underparts. The throat, breast and sides of  the head are tinged yellow, the throat is finely streaked black and there is a yellow eye-ring.  The iris is brown, the bill is blackish above and yellowish below, and the legs are brownish green.  The Taiwan race praecognita has more definite and more extensive throat streaking, a slightly darker cap and more rufous-tinged upperparts than mainland forms.

The Rufous-capped Babbler prefers the forest understory and shrubby forest edges, moving about constantly in the low to middle story, searching for insects.  It emits a five-note call, described as “doo-doo-doo-doo-doo”, a soft chittering and a four-note whistle,”whi-whi-whi-whi”.  It is a common resident of Taiwan year-round from low to mid elevations.

References:  A Field Guide to the Birds of China (Mackinnon and Phillipps); 100 Common Birds of Taiwan (Wild Bird Society of Taipei); N. J. Collar, “Endemic subspecies of Taiwan birds—first impressions”, in Birding ASIA, Number 2, December 2004