The bar-winged wren-babbler is a species of bird in the family Timaliidae. It is found in Bhutan, China, India, and Myanmar. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forest.
Region
Eastern Himalayas and Southwest China
Typical Environment
Occurs from the Eastern Himalayas (northeast India and Bhutan) through northern Myanmar into southwestern China, including southeast Tibet and Yunnan. It inhabits subtropical to temperate moist montane broadleaf forests with dense undergrowth. Typical sites include rhododendron and bamboo thickets, mossy ravines, and steep, shaded slopes near streams. The species keeps close to the ground and mid-understory, using dense cover for foraging and nesting.
Altitude Range
1200–3000 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The bar-winged wren-babbler is a small, secretive understory bird named for its bold pale bars across the wings. It keeps to dense, mossy thickets and bamboo, where it is more often heard than seen, delivering clear, ringing whistles. Pairs often duet, and the species is largely sedentary with possible short altitudinal movements. It belongs to the Old World babbler group and is currently assessed as Least Concern.
Spelaeornis troglodytoides souliei Oustalet, 1898
Temperament
shy and skulking, territorial in pairs
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats; prefers low, short hops and brief flights through cover
Social Behavior
Usually found singly or in pairs, sometimes in small family groups. Pairs maintain territories and often duet, especially during the breeding season. Nests are typically concealed low in dense vegetation or banks, constructed of moss and fibers.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A series of clear, ringing whistles and melodious phrases, often delivered from concealed perches. Pairs may perform antiphonal duets. Calls include sharp chips and soft scolds while moving through dense cover.
Plumage
Warm brown upperparts with fine mottling, greyish to buff underparts with subtle scaling, and distinctive pale bars across the wing coverts; tail often faintly barred. Short rounded wings and a short tail accentuate a compact, wren-like shape.
Diet
Primarily small insects and other arthropods such as beetles, ants, spiders, and larvae. It gleans from leaf-litter, probes mossy trunks and rocks, and picks prey from twigs and bamboo culms. Occasionally takes small berries, especially outside the breeding season.
Preferred Environment
Feeds low in dense understory, bamboo thickets, and along mossy ravines and stream edges. Often forages on or near the forest floor, using cover for protection while moving methodically.
