The spiny babbler is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. Found only in the Middle Hills of Nepal, it can for example be seen around the Kathmandu valley, specifically around the Godavari and Phulchoki area close to the city of Lalitpur.
Region
Himalayan foothills (Central Nepal)
Typical Environment
Occurs patchily in the Middle Hills of central Nepal, favoring dense scrub, thorny thickets, and secondary growth on slopes and gullies. It often uses hedgerows and brushy edges of terraced fields near villages. The species keeps close to cover and rarely ventures into open forest interiors. Local presence can be stable where scrub is maintained by traditional agriculture and periodic disturbance.
Altitude Range
900–1800 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The spiny babbler is Nepal’s only endemic bird, most often seen in dense scrub on the Middle Hills around the Kathmandu Valley, including Godavari and Phulchoki. Its ‘spiny’ look comes from stiff-tipped feathers that give the mantle and nape a bristly appearance. It is shy and skulking, but males often sing from exposed shrub tops at dawn, especially after rain.
Temperament
secretive and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, low and direct between cover
Social Behavior
Usually seen in pairs or small family parties that keep in close contact within dense scrub. Nests are cup-shaped and placed low in thorny bushes or thick undergrowth. Both parents participate in nesting duties and feed the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A lively, varied warble with scratchy phrases, delivered from the tops of shrubs or bamboo clumps, especially at dawn. Contact calls are harsh churrs and scolds given when moving through cover.
Plumage
Coarsely streaked brown and grey with stiff-tipped, bristly feathers on the mantle and nape giving a spiky look. Underparts are paler with fine streaking across the breast and flanks. Tail is long and graduated with darker bars; wings are short and rounded.
Diet
Feeds primarily on insects such as beetles, caterpillars, ants, and other small arthropods gleaned from leaves and leaf litter. It may also take small berries and seeds opportunistically. Foraging is mostly low to the ground in dense vegetation, where it flicks through dead leaves and probes crevices.
Preferred Environment
Brushy slopes, hedgerows, and scrubby field margins, often near human-modified landscapes with secondary growth. Frequently forages within dense thickets and along scrubby ravines and terrace edges.
