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Golden Babbler Cyanoderma chrysaeum Scientific name definitions

Nigel Collar and Craig Robson
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated January 1, 2007

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Field Identification

10–12 cm; 6–10 g. Distinctive small babbler with narrowly striped crown, black half-mask and yellow underparts. Nominate race has crown and nape golden-yellow, narrowly and evenly streaked with black, with strong yellow preocular lateral crownstripe bordering black on lores and short black supercilium; upperparts yellowish-olive, upper­wing and tail brownish-grey, flight-feathers with narrow yellow-buff fringes; short black submoustachial stripe from lores, plain yellowish-olive ear-coverts; chin to mid-belly bright yellow, shading on sides and below to olive-yellow; iris red or red-brown to brown or brown-grey; bill blackish, paler below, often with pinkish-red or pinkish-flesh base of lower mandible; legs pale yellowish-brown to light brown. Sexes similar. Juvenile is duller and browner above than adult, whiter below, with browner flanks. Race binghami is more greyish-olive above than nominate, weaker yellow below, ear-coverts dark grey; auratum is smaller, with yellowish ear-coverts, less distinct head pattern, paler below; assimile is very like previous, but ear-coverts more greyish-olive, underparts slightly brighter; frigidum differs from last in greener upperparts, much less deeply yellow crown, pale yellow underparts, dusky olive-green sides of body; chrysops is intermediate between preceding two, but more like first of them (assimile).

Systematics History

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Geographical variation poorly defined, and characters separating most races very weak; revision probably needed. Six subspecies tentatively recognized.

Subspecies

Unknown race in N Thailand, S Laos and C Vietnam (C Annam).


SUBSPECIES

Cyanoderma chrysaeum chrysaeum Scientific name definitions

Distribution

C Nepal E to Bhutan, NE Indian hill states (except E Mizoram), N and NE Myanmar and adjacent SE Tibet, NW and W Yunnan (China).


SUBSPECIES

Cyanoderma chrysaeum binghami Scientific name definitions

Distribution

E Mizoram (NE India) and W Myanmar.

SUBSPECIES

Cyanoderma chrysaeum auratum Scientific name definitions

Distribution

E Myanmar, NW Thailand (S to Chiang Dao), N and C Laos, N Vietnam (Tonkin, N Annam) and S China (S Yunnan E to SW Guangxi).

SUBSPECIES

Cyanoderma chrysaeum assimile Scientific name definitions

Distribution

SE Myanmar (including Tenasserim) and NW and W Thailand.

SUBSPECIES

Cyanoderma chrysaeum chrysops Scientific name definitions

Distribution

S Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia.

SUBSPECIES

Cyanoderma chrysaeum frigidum Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Sumatra.

Distribution

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Habitat

Broadleaf evergreen forest, bamboo stands, also dense bushes, Rubus thickets, deserted cultivation and clearings; also secondary forest, pine forest and upper montane primary vegetation in Sumatra. Found at 300–2600 m in Indian Subcontinent, 450–2600 m in SE Asia (but above 1065 m in Peninsular Malaysia) and China; 680–3000 m in Sumatra (“to highest peaks”). Habitat and altitudinal range very like those preferred by C. ruficeps.

Movement

Resident, apparently with some seasonal wandering; in NE India described as occasional migrant in Kaziranga National Park (Assam), although could be low-density resident in area.

Diet and Foraging

Insects, including ants (Formicidae), caterpillars; occasionally berries. Forages in lower to middle storeys. Outside breeding season (from Aug) found in mixed flocks with Old World warblers (Sylviidae) and other species of babbler, often Stachyris nigriceps, or in family groups; sometimes in monospecific flocks.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Song a rapid “tu tu-tu-tu-tu-tu-tu” or slower “ti tu-tu-tu-tu-tu”, or “chink chink-chink-chink-chink-chink”, usually with 5–10 notes and lasting 1–1·25 seconds; like that of C. rufifrons but notes tend to be clearer, often sounding more spaced, and usually with more obvious pause (occasionally no pause) after first note. Introductory notes sometimes given singly. When alarmed, utters scolding “chrrrrr-rr-rr”, “chrirrrrr” or “chrrrrrr”.

Breeding

Jan–Jul. In Bhutan song heard as early as mid-Feb but mostly late Mar–Jul, with peak territorial activity later, in May–Jun. Nest a dome or ball with entrance near top, made of dry bamboo or other leaves and pine needles, lined with rootlets (or unlined), placed on ground among dead leaves, on bank, in bamboo clump or bush or suspended from pine branch in foliage, up to 0·6 m above ground. Clutch 3–4 eggs, white (may appear pink-tinged when fresh), rarely with faint reddish-brown spots. No other information.

Not globally threatened. Rare and local in Nepal. In Bhutan fairly common; near Zhemgang recorded density of 3·4 territories/km of road at 1600–1900 m, making it one of the commonest birds in warm broadleaf forest in country; present in Thrumshingla National Park. Locally fairly common in NE India, where present in e.g. Buxa Tiger Reserve (West Bengal), Nameri National Park (Assam), and Namdapha National Park, Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary and Mouling National Park (all Arunachal Pradesh). Status in Bangladesh uncertain, but possibly rare or even extinct. Uncommon in Natmautaung National Park, in Myanmar. Common in China, where recently found in Nonggang National Nature Reserve and Chunxiu Nature Reserve, in Guangxi. Generally common in SE Asian range. Common in Doi Inthanon National Park, in Thailand. Common in Dong Hua Sao National Biodiversity Conservation Area (NBCA), locally frequent in Nam Kading NBCA, and common in parts of Nakai-Nam Theun NBCA, in Laos. In Vietnam, present in Ba Be National Park and Na Hang Nature Reserve and common in Tam Dao National Park (all in N), and in six protected areas in the Annamese Lowlands Endemic Bird Area. Present in Gunung Leuser National Park, in Sumatra.

Distribution of the Golden Babbler - Range Map
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Distribution of the Golden Babbler

Recommended Citation

Collar, N. and C. Robson (2020). Golden Babbler (Cyanoderma chrysaeum), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.golbab1.01
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