Moustached Babbler

This species is defined as a Review Species. Please submit your records of this species via our record submission page.

Scientific Name: Malacopteron magnirostre
Malay Name: Kekicau-Cangkuk Bermisai
Chinese Name: 须树鹛

Range:
Found from the Thai-Malay Peninsula to Sumatra and Borneo

Taxonomy:
Polytypic. Subspecies are: magnirostre, cinereocapilla.

Local Subspecies: magnirostre

Size: 16.5-18 cm

Identification:
Adult has rather uniform olive-brown crown and mantle, greyish head-sides, distinctive dark moustachial stripe, whitish underparts with vague streaking across breast and strongly rufescent tail. Juvenile has indistinct moustachial and pinkish lower mandible.

Similar looking species: Abbott's Babbler, Short-tailed Babbler

Habitat: Forest

Behaviour/Ecology: Forages at the lower mid-stratum and understorey of forests.

Local Status: Very rare resident. Possibly extirpated.

Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2016)

Featured articles:

Past accepted records in our database:

Moustached Babbler at Panti Forest. Photo Credit: Francis Yap
Moustached Babbler at Taman Negara. Photo Credit: Francis Yap
Moustached Babbler at Taman Negara. Photo Credit: Francis Yap
External Links:
Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page
Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link
Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link
eBird Species page: eBird (Moustached Babbler)
References:
BirdLife International. (2016). Malacopteron magnirostre. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22715873A94472609.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023
Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.
Wells, D. R. (1999). The Birds of the Thai-Malay Peninsula (Vol. 1). Academic Press, London.