Chestnut-capped Babbler

The chestnut-capped babbler is a medium-sized babbler, 15.5–17 cm, monotypic within the genus Timalia, with a fairly long, wedge-shaped tail and a thick black bill. The plumage is unbarred brown with a chestnut crown and black eye mask contrasting with a white forehead and white eyebrow line. The sexes are similar, except that males are slightly larger with a ruby-red iris, while females have a black iris (Wikipedia, general species account).

It is most closely related to the two Indian species, the tawny-bellied babbler and the dark-fronted babbler. It is native to Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, southern China, northern India, Java and Bali, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand and Vietnam, and has more recently been found further west, in southern Uttarakhand. The nominate subspecies on Java and Bali is separated from the mainland range by about 1,800 km. It feeds on butterfly larvae, beetles and other insects, and breeds between February and October in India, probably laying several clutches. SoIB 2023 rates it a Low conservation priority, a resident of grassland with a Moderate range of about 57,200 km² (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).