The Kangean tit-babbler is a species of bird in the Old World babbler family Timaliidae that is endemic to the Kangean Islands in Indonesia.
Region
Kangean Islands, Java Sea
Typical Environment
Occurs in lowland and foothill forests, dense secondary growth, bamboo thickets, and scrubby edges. Prefers tangled understory with abundant leaf litter and vine cover. Often stays close to the ground to mid-understory, moving quickly through cover. Tolerates some degraded habitats but depends on patches of mature or semi-natural vegetation.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 450 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This elusive tit-babbler is confined to the Kangean Islands of Indonesia, where it keeps to dense lowland thickets. It was long treated within the genus Macronus but is now usually placed in Mixornis. Its secretive habits make it easier to hear than to see, and habitat loss on its small range has raised conservation concerns.
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually seen in pairs or small family groups and sometimes joins mixed-species flocks in the understory. Builds neat, domed or cup-like nests low in shrubs or dense vegetation. Territorial during breeding, with pairs maintaining small home ranges.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A fast, scolding series of chattering notes and trills, often delivered antiphonally by a pair. Calls include sharp chips and buzzy rattles that carry through dense foliage.
Plumage
Olive-brown upperparts with warmer rufous-brown tones on the wings and tail; yellowish-olive underparts with a paler throat. Head shows bold, pin-striped patterning with dark crown stripes and buffy to yellowish supercilium and streaking on the sides of the head. Feathers appear soft and slightly fluffy, aiding its skulking habits in dense cover.
Diet
Feeds mainly on small insects, spiders, and other arthropods, gleaned from leaves, twigs, and leaf litter. Occasionally takes small berries or other soft plant matter, especially when insect prey is scarce. Forages by quick, methodical movements, often pausing to probe clusters of dead leaves.
Preferred Environment
Forages in dense understory of forest, secondary scrub, bamboo, and along forest edges and paths. Often stays within 0–3 meters above ground where cover is thickest.
