Pale-throated Wren-Babbler (Spelaeornis kinneari)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Pale-throated Wren-Babbler

Spelaeornis kinneari Delacour & Jabouille, 1930

9–10 cmLength12 gWeight

This bird is less than 11 cm long, with gray sides to the head and a nearly white chin and throat.

Busiest months: February and April–May · Most records: China

Vulnerable

How to identify

Field marks

  1. Gray sides to head
  2. Brown crown and back, rufous-brown wings and tail
  3. Male has a white throat; female has a pale brown throat
  4. Breast sides and flanks yellowish-brown with a rufous tinge

Where and when it's recorded

Pale-throated Wren-Babbler has been recorded at 4 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

To protect this bird from disturbance, we don't list exact sites.

Countries and regions with the most records

China

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 pale-throated wren-babbler (Spelaeornis kinneari) is a bird species in the family Timaliidae. It was until recently considered a subspecies of the long-tailed wren-babbler; the IUCN for example started recognizing it as distinct species in 2008. It is only found in Southwestern China and Vietnam.

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

Questions

How big is the Pale-throated Wren-Babbler?

The Pale-throated Wren-Babbler is about 9–10 cm long and weighs around 12 g.

Where does the Pale-throated Wren-Babbler live?

Its breeding range: Oriental: northern Vietnam. It is most often recorded in China.

When is the best time to see the Pale-throated Wren-Babbler?

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

Is the Pale-throated Wren-Babbler endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Pale-throated Wren-Babbler as Vulnerable.

What does the Pale-throated Wren-Babbler eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Pale-throated Wren-Babbler in?

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

At a glance

Length
9–10 cm
Weight
12 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Vulnerable
More measurements
Wing
50 mm
Tail
36 mm
Bill
12 mm
Tarsus
18 mm

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

Range

Oriental: northern Vietnam

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Genus
Spelaeornis

Other birds in the genus Spelaeornis

Rufous-throated Wren-BabblerRufous-throated Wren-BabblerSpelaeornis caudatusMishmi Wren-BabblerMishmi Wren-BabblerSpelaeornis badeigularisBar-winged Wren-BabblerBar-winged Wren-BabblerSpelaeornis troglodytoidesNaga Wren-BabblerNaga Wren-BabblerSpelaeornis chocolatinusChin Hills Wren-BabblerChin Hills Wren-BabblerSpelaeornis oatesiTawny-breasted Wren-BabblerTawny-breasted Wren-BabblerSpelaeornis longicaudatusGrey-bellied Wren-BabblerGrey-bellied Wren-BabblerSpelaeornis reptatusChestnut-capped BabblerChestnut-capped BabblerTimalia pileataTawny-bellied BabblerTawny-bellied BabblerDumetia hyperythraDark-fronted BabblerDark-fronted BabblerDumetia atriceps
Pale-throated Wren-Babbler

Download illustration

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

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