White-chested Babbler

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

Scientific Name: Pellorneum rostratum
Malay Name: Kekicau-Telunjuk Dada Putih
Chinese Name: 白胸雅鹛

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

Taxonomy:
Polytypic. Subspecies are: rostratum, macropterum.

Local Subspecies: rostratum

Size: 15-16.5 cm

Identification:
Adult has narrow bill, cold brown upperparts and clean white underparts with grey-washed breast-side. Juvenile looks similar to adult.

Habitat: Forest, swamp forest and mangroves.

Behaviour/Ecology: Feeds on small invertebrates taken from the forest floor, mainly in wet areas.

Local Status: Rare resident

Conservation Status: Near Threatened (BirdLife International 2016)

Featured articles:

Past accepted records in our database:

White-chested Babbler from Panti Bird Sanctuary. Photo credit: Con Foley
White-chested Babbler from Panti Bird Sanctuary. Photo credit: Alan Ng
Screen capture of a White-chested Babbler from a video at Pulau Tekong. Photo Credit: Albert Low
White-chested Babbler from Panti Bird Sanctuary. Photo credit: Con Foley
White-chested Babbler from Panti Bird Sanctuary. Photo credit: Chris Li
White-chested Babbler from Panti Bird Sanctuary. Photo credit: Chris Li
External Links:
Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page
Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link
Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link
eBird Species page: eBird (White-chested Babbler)
References:
BirdLife International. (2016). Pellorneum rostratum. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22715792A94469277.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.