Black-eared Shrike-babbler (Pteruthius melanotis)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Black-eared Shrike-babbler

Pteruthius melanotis Hodgson, 1847

≈12 cmLength13 gWeight

It is usually found among tall trees and scrub in dense forest.

Busiest months: February–March · Most records: Malaysia, China, Thailand

Least Concern

How to identify

Where and when it's recorded

Black-eared Shrike-babbler has been recorded at 129 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 9 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Bukit FraserMalaysia735 records
  2. Bukit Fraser – Telekom LoopMalaysia184 records
  3. Doi Pha Hom Pok NP – Doi Lang (E)Thailand155 records
More places
  1. Baihualing [General Area]China112 records
  2. Doi Inthanon NPThailand90 records
  3. Bukit Fraser – Bishop TrailMalaysia86 records
  4. Yongkhola campBhutan67 records
  5. Cameron HighlandsMalaysia67 records
  6. Mt. Phulchowki - Lowest Few Miles of RoadNepal62 records
  7. Lingmethang Rd – Namling mid-elevation forestBhutan61 records

Countries and regions with the most records

MalaysiaChinaThailandBhutanNepalMyanmar (Burma)VietnamLaos

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

About

The black-eared shrike-babbler (Pteruthius melanotis) is a bird species in the vireo family, Vireonidae. It was traditionally considered as an aberrant Old World babbler and formerly placed in the family Timaliidae. It was long noted that their habits resembled those of vireos, but this was previously ascribed to the result of convergent evolution.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Black-eared Shrike-babbler?

The Black-eared Shrike-babbler is about ≈12 cm long and weighs around 13 g.

Where does the Black-eared Shrike-babbler live?

Its breeding range: Oriental: Himalayas to western Malaysia. It is most often recorded in Malaysia, China and Thailand.

When is the best time to see the Black-eared Shrike-babbler?

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

Is the Black-eared Shrike-babbler endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Black-eared Shrike-babbler as Least Concern.

What does the Black-eared Shrike-babbler eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Black-eared Shrike-babbler in?

It belongs to the family Vireos, Greenlets, Shrike-babblers (Vireonidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length
≈12 cm
Weight
13 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
59 mm
Tail
41 mm
Bill
12 mm
Tarsus
20 mm

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

Range

Oriental: Himalayas to western Malaysia

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Subspecies · 1
  • Pteruthius melanotis melanotis c Nepal and ne India to Myanmar, w Thailand, n Indochina and s China

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Genus
Pteruthius

Other birds in the genus Pteruthius

Green Shrike-babblerGreen Shrike-babblerPteruthius xanthochlorusBlack-headed Shrike-babblerBlack-headed Shrike-babblerPteruthius rufiventerWhite-browed Shrike-babblerWhite-browed Shrike-babblerPteruthius aeralatusPied Shrike-babblerPied Shrike-babblerPteruthius flaviscapisClicking Shrike-babblerClicking Shrike-babblerPteruthius intermediusTrilling Shrike-babblerTrilling Shrike-babblerPteruthius aenobarbusWhite-bellied ErpornisWhite-bellied ErpornisErpornis zantholeucaRufous-browed PeppershrikeRufous-browed PeppershrikeCyclarhis gujanensisBlack-billed PeppershrikeBlack-billed PeppershrikeCyclarhis nigrirostrisChestnut-sided Shrike-VireoChestnut-sided Shrike-VireoVireolanius melitophrys
Black-eared Shrike-babbler

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

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