Nonggang babbler

Photo by James Eaton (Oriental Bird Images)

Common name:
Nonggang babbler (en); zaragateiro-de-Nonggang (pt); timalie de Nonggang (fr); timali de Nonggang (es); Nonggang-timalie (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Timaliidae

Range:
This species was recently described from Nonggang Nature Reserve, in the Chinese province of Guangxi. It apparently occupies a limited area along the Chinese-Vietnamese border in that region.

Size:
These birds are 16-17 cm long and weigh 33-38 g.

Habitat:
The Nonggang babbler is only mostly found in seasonal rainforest associated with limestone karsts and also on limestone outcrops.

Diet:
They feed on insects and other invertebrates, which they hunt on the ground, between rocks and among the forest leaf litter.

Breeding:
The Nonggang babbler breeds in April-June. The nest is made of aerial roots, leaves, twigs, and soft grasses, and placed in cavities in limestone cliffs or large rock located on the mountainside. The female lays 4-5 white eggs, which she incubates alone for 18-20 days. There is no information ragarding the length of the fledgling period.

Conservation:
IUCN status – VU (Vulnerable)
This species has a small breeding range and a global population estimated at 2.500-10.000 individuals. The population trend has not been quantified; however, it is suspected to be declining due to ongoing habitat degradation and fragmentation through selective logging, agricultural expansion and road building.