Pomatorhinus horsfieldii Sykes, 1832

Nomenclature and Size

Pomatorhinus horsfieldii Sykes, 1832, commonly called the Indian scimitar-babbler, is a 22 cm long bird.

Bill Structure

Its most distinctive feature is a long down-curved yellow bill that is blackish at the base of the upper mandible.

Head and Body Plumage

It has a striking head pattern: a long white supercilium sits above a broad black band that runs through the eye. Its white throat and breast contrast with dark greyish brown plumage on its upperside, and dark grey to black plumage on most of its underside.

Wing and Tail Morphology

The tail is broad, long, and graduated, while the wings are short and round.

Flight Ability

The species is a weak flier, so it is rarely seen flying in open areas.

Foraging and Diet

The long down-curved yellow bill is used to search through leaf litter and bark for food, which is mainly insects and berries.

Observability and Vocalization

Indian scimitar-babblers prefer dense vegetation, so they can be difficult to observe. Like many other babblers, they are noisy birds, and their characteristic bubbling calls are often the best indication of their presence.

Duet Call Structure

Their call is made up of a loud fluty oop-pu-pu-pu immediately followed by a krukru; the second note is produced by the female, and the male-female duet is accurately synchronized.

Plumage Abnormalities

Leucistic plumages have been recorded for this species.

Geographic Distribution

In distribution, it is the only scimitar babbler found in Peninsular India, and occurs south of a line running between Rajasthan and Orissa.

Migratory Status

The Indian scimitar-babbler is a non-migratory resident breeder.

Habitat Preferences

Its main habitat is forest and secondary growth in hilly regions.

Foraging Behavior

It feeds on insects on the ground or on vegetation, hopping along the ground and turning over leaves or probing in leaf litter to find prey. It may sometimes join mixed-species foraging flocks.

Breeding Season

It breeds from December to May.

Nest Description

Its nest is a large, loose, globular mass of foliage, concealed in a bush on or low to the ground.

Clutch and Egg Details

It usually lays three eggs, though clutch size can range from two to four, and the eggs are pure white.