The brown trembler is a species of bird in the family Mimidae, the mockingbirds and thrashers. It is found on the islands of Saba, St. Kitts, Nevis, Montserrat, Guadeloupe, Dominica and St. Vincent in the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean Sea.
Region
Lesser Antilles
Typical Environment
Occupies humid evergreen and montane rainforests, secondary woodland, and forest edges on several islands in the Lesser Antilles. It favors dense understory with tangles, epiphytes, and vine-rich thickets where it can forage methodically. The species also uses shade plantations and overgrown gullies near forest. It is generally sedentary within territories but may move locally in response to fruiting trees and seasonal resources.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1300 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Named for its distinctive wing-quivering display, the brown trembler often shivers its wings while foraging or when excited. It belongs to the mockingbird and thrasher family (Mimidae) and is a forest specialist of the Lesser Antilles. It typically keeps to the understory and midstory, moving stealthily through dense foliage. Pairs or family groups are commonly seen foraging together.
Temperament
secretive yet active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with low, darting flights
Social Behavior
Often seen in pairs or small family groups maintaining year-round territories. Builds a cup nest in dense vegetation or small trees; both adults attend the young. The species performs conspicuous wing-trembling displays during courtship, territorial encounters, and while foraging.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a varied series of mellow whistles, chatters, and nasal notes delivered from within cover. Calls include sharp tchak and harsh churrs, with excited chattering when alarmed.
Plumage
Uniform warm brown above with slightly paler, cinnamon-buff underparts and rufous-tinged tail and undertail coverts; wings show a warm rufous cast. Throat can appear slightly paler or grayish, with smooth, unspotted underparts.
Diet
Takes a wide range of arthropods such as beetles, spiders, and caterpillars, gleaned from leaves, vines, and epiphytes. Also consumes fruits and berries from native forest trees and shrubs, and occasionally nectar. It may probe leaf litter and mossy trunks, using its wing-trembling to flush hidden prey.
Preferred Environment
Feeds mainly in dense understory and midstory of humid forests, along forest edges, and in overgrown ravines. Frequently forages in mixed vegetation with abundant vines and bromeliads.
