Black-crowned Scimitar Babbler (Pomatorhinus ferruginosus)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Black-crowned Scimitar Babbler

Pomatorhinus ferruginosus Blyth, 1845

≈22 cmLength40 gWeight

The black-crowned scimitar babbler (Pomatorhinus ferruginosus) is a species of bird in the family Timaliidae.

Busiest months: January–February · Most records: China, Vietnam, Thailand

Least Concern

How to identify

Where and when it's recorded

Black-crowned Scimitar Babbler has been recorded at 64 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 5 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Shiti VillageChina158 records
  2. Ngoc Linh NRVietnam155 records
  3. HongbengheChina105 records
More places
  1. Mae Wong NP – Chong YenThailand53 records
  2. Doi Pha Hom Pok NP – Doi Lang (E)Thailand50 records
  3. Mang DenVietnam46 records
  4. Yongkhola campBhutan44 records
  5. Tam Dao NPVietnam27 records
  6. Husa DongshanChina14 records
  7. Shiti – Hide 15China13 records

Countries and regions with the most records

ChinaVietnamThailandBhutanMyanmar (Burma)

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

Questions

How big is the Black-crowned Scimitar Babbler?

The Black-crowned Scimitar Babbler is about ≈22 cm long and weighs around 40 g.

Where does the Black-crowned Scimitar Babbler live?

Its breeding range: Oriental: eastern Himalayas (eastern Nepal to central Arunachal Pradesh and southeastern Xizang). It is most often recorded in China, Vietnam and Thailand.

When is the best time to see the Black-crowned Scimitar Babbler?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January and February (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Black-crowned Scimitar Babbler endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Black-crowned Scimitar Babbler as Least Concern.

What does the Black-crowned Scimitar Babbler eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Black-crowned Scimitar Babbler in?

It belongs to the family Babblers, Scimitar Babblers (Timaliidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length
≈22 cm
Weight
40 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
95 mm
Tail
97 mm
Bill
30 mm
Tarsus
31 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Oriental: eastern Himalayas (eastern Nepal to central Arunachal Pradesh and southeastern Xizang)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Genus
Pomatorhinus

Other birds in the genus Pomatorhinus

Brown-crowned Scimitar BabblerBrown-crowned Scimitar BabblerPomatorhinus phayreiRed-billed Scimitar BabblerRed-billed Scimitar BabblerPomatorhinus ochraceicepsSlender-billed Scimitar BabblerSlender-billed Scimitar BabblerPomatorhinus superciliarisStreak-breasted Scimitar BabblerStreak-breasted Scimitar BabblerPomatorhinus ruficollisTaiwan Scimitar BabblerTaiwan Scimitar BabblerPomatorhinus musicusWhite-browed Scimitar BabblerWhite-browed Scimitar BabblerPomatorhinus schisticepsIndian Scimitar BabblerIndian Scimitar BabblerPomatorhinus horsfieldiiSri Lanka Scimitar BabblerSri Lanka Scimitar BabblerPomatorhinus melanurusSunda Scimitar BabblerSunda Scimitar BabblerPomatorhinus bornensisJavan Scimitar BabblerJavan Scimitar BabblerPomatorhinus montanus
Black-crowned Scimitar Babbler

Download illustration

Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by patrick_aube. ↗

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