The rusty-cheeked scimitar babbler is a passerine bird in the babbler family Timaliidae that is found in the Himalayas from northeast Pakistan to Bhutan. It was formerly considered as conspecific with the red-eyed scimitar babbler that is found in eastern Myanmar and northwestern Thailand.
Region
Western and Central Himalayas
Typical Environment
Occurs from northeast Pakistan across the Himalayan foothills of India and Nepal to Bhutan. Favors dense understory in broadleaf and mixed forests, scrubby hillsides, bamboo brakes, and ravines. It is common along forest edges, secondary growth, and streamside thickets where cover is abundant. Typically remains low, moving through tangled vegetation and leaf litter rather than in the canopy.
Altitude Range
300–2400 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A shy, ground-frequenting babbler, it uses its long scimitar-shaped bill to probe leaf litter, bamboo clumps, and thickets for hidden prey. Pairs often perform loud antiphonal duets that carry through the forest. It was formerly lumped with the red-eyed scimitar babbler of eastern Myanmar and northwestern Thailand, but differs notably in iris color and range.
E. e. ferrugilatusNagarjun Forest, Kathmandu, Nepal
Temperament
skulking and wary
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, usually low through dense cover
Social Behavior
Usually found in pairs or small family parties, sometimes accompanying mixed-species flocks at lower levels. Territorial pairs duet, especially at dawn, to advertise and maintain territories. Nests are placed low in dense vegetation or banks, often domed structures of leaves and grasses; clutches typically contain 2–4 eggs.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Loud, ringing whistles often given antiphonally by a pair; phrases rise and fall in a clear, fluty cadence. Calls include sharp chacks and mellow, repetitive notes that carry well in forested valleys.
