Stachyridopsis chrysaea (Blyth, 1844)

Taxonomic Classification

The golden babbler (currently recognized scientific name Cyanoderma chrysaeum, formerly Stachyridopsis chrysaea, originally published as Stachyris chrysaea) is a babbler species belonging to the family Timaliidae.

Distribution and Habitat

It is distributed from the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas to Southeast Asia, where it lives in subtropical lowland and montane forests.

Conservation Status

It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List due to its wide distribution.

Plumage Characteristics

This species has olive-green wings and yellow underparts, with golden-yellow narrow stripes on its crown and nape.

Size and Weight

It measures 12–19 cm (4.7–7.5 in) in length and weighs 6–10 g (0.21–0.35 oz).

Original Taxon Description

Edward Blyth first proposed the scientific name Stachyris chrysaea in 1844, when he described an olivaceous babbler with a yellow crown collected from Nepal.

Recent Taxonomic Revision

It has been classified as a Cyanoderma species since 2016.