The mourning babbler, previously the short-tailed babbler, is a species of bird in the ground babbler family Pellorneidae. It is found in the Malay Peninsula, Anambas Islands, Sumatra, Banyak Islands, Batu Islands, Riau Islands, Lingga Islands and the Natuna Islands. It was formerly considered to be conspecific with the glissando babbler and the leaflitter babbler.
Region
Sundaland (Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and adjacent islands)
Typical Environment
Occurs in lowland and foothill evergreen rainforests across the Malay Peninsula and nearby Indonesian islands including the Anambas, Riau, Lingga, Natuna, Banyak and Batu groups, as well as Sumatra. It favors shaded, humid forest with a dense understory and abundant leaf litter. Also found in peat-swamp forest, riverine forest, and selectively logged forest if ground cover remains. It generally avoids open habitats and heavily degraded sites. Often keeps close to the forest floor, moving through tangles and along quiet gullies.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Named for its plaintive, mournful whistles, this skulking forest bird spends most of its time in leaf litter and dense understory. It was formerly treated within the Short-tailed Babbler complex but has been split, with the glissando babbler and leaflitter babbler now recognized separately. Its extremely short tail and rich, whistled song are key field clues. Sensitive to heavy forest degradation, it persists best where understory remains intact.
Temperament
shy and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats close to the ground
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly or in pairs, occasionally joining mixed-species flocks in the understory. Nests are placed low, often near the ground in dense cover. Likely monogamous, with both adults involved in parental care. Territorial songs are delivered from concealed perches.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A series of clear, mournful whistles, often delivered in descending or sliding phrases. Calls include soft chups and low churrs from dense cover.
Plumage
Warm brown upperparts with slightly richer rufous tones on the wings and flanks; underparts buffy to rufescent with a paler throat. The tail is notably short, giving a compact, round-bodied appearance. The face is grayish-brown with a subtle pale eye-ring.
Diet
Primarily takes leaf-litter invertebrates such as ants, beetles, spiders, and other small arthropods. It probes and flicks aside leaves with the bill to expose prey. Occasionally consumes small snails or other soft-bodied invertebrates and may take a few berries opportunistically.
Preferred Environment
Forages on the forest floor and in the lowest understory, especially along quiet gullies, stream margins, and dense thickets. Prefers shaded, moist microhabitats with deep leaf litter.
