Contributed by Alan OwYong and Yong Ding Li. 2nd April 2015.
The Striped Tit-babbler, Macronous gularis, is our most common babbler species, and can be found along forest edges, old plantations and well-wooded scrubland, including Albizzia belukar. Like all babblers they forage near to the forest floor up to the mid storey and are rather confiding. They move in small flocks and are constantly jumping from one twig to another. Its call and song is made up of a series of “Chonk” “Chonk” notes and raspy chirrs.
Following a study by Nigel Collar, Striped Tit-babbler was split into Pin-striped Tit-babbler (Macronous gularis), and the Bold-striped Tit-babbler (Macronous bornensis) of Borneo and Java. The Pin-striped Tit-babbler has an extensive distribution ranging from South China, India to South-east Asia. Within these areas fourteen sub species are recognised. Clements has recently transferred it from the genus Macronous to Mixornis.
The subspecies found in Singapore is gularis, and which is similar to that of Peninsular Malaysia. It is a very common resident that has adapted well to Singapore’s changing landscape.
Ref: The Avifauna of Singapore. Lim Kim Seng. 2009.
The Naturalist’s Guide to the Birds of Singapore. Yong Ding Li, Lim Kim Chuah and Lee Tiak Khee. 2013 John Beaufoy Publishing Limited.
The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. James F. Clements. Cornell University Press 2007.
Collar, N.J. (2006) A partial revision of Asian Babblers ( Timaliidae) Forktail 22:85-112
Singapore Bird Group 