Spotted elachura

The spotted elachura or spotted wren-babbler is a species of passerine bird found in the forests of the eastern Himalayas and Southeast Asia. In the past it was included in the babbler genus Spelaeornis as S. formosus, but molecular phylogenetic studies in 2014 provided evidence that it was distinct from the babblers and part of a basal lineage with no other close living relatives within the passerine bird clade Passerida. This led to the creation of a new family, Elachuridae, to accommodate just one species.

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Distribution

Region

Eastern Himalayas and northern Southeast Asia

Typical Environment

Occurs patchily from the eastern Himalayas (Nepal, Bhutan, and northeastern India) through northern Myanmar into southwest China (e.g., Yunnan) and north Indochina (northern Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam). It inhabits dense, damp understory of subtropical and montane evergreen broadleaf forests, often with bamboo and rhododendron. Frequently found along shaded ravines, mossy gullies, and stream edges where ground cover is thick. It avoids open areas and tends to remain close to the forest floor or low shrubs.

Altitude Range

300–2600 m

Climate Zone

Highland

Characteristics

Size9–10 cm

Wing Span14–16 cm

Male Weight0.01 kg

Female Weight0.009 kg

Life Expectancy5 years

Ease of Keeping

Beginner friendly: 1/5

Useful to know

The spotted elachura is the sole living member of the family Elachuridae, representing a very ancient lineage within Passerida. It is a tiny, secretive skulk of dense understory, far more often heard than seen. Its song is remarkably loud and insect-like, with complex trills that carry through mountain forests. Formerly treated as a wren-babbler, genetics revealed it is not closely related to babblers.

Gallery

Behaviour

Temperament

secretive and skulking

Flight Pattern

short rapid wingbeats, low and reluctant flier

Social Behavior

Usually solitary or in pairs, moving mouse-like through dense cover. Breeding pairs defend small territories in thick understory. Nests are well-concealed domed or ball-shaped structures placed low in vegetation near streams; both parents care for young.

Migratory Pattern

Resident

Song Description

A loud, clear, and surprisingly powerful series of high-pitched whistles and rapid trills, often insect-like. Phrases are delivered in complex sequences, especially at dawn, and carry far through the forest.

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Identification

Comb Type

Plumage Description

Feather Color

Leg Color

Earlobe Color

Eye Color

Feeding Habits

Diet

Preferred Environment

Requires Supplement

Population

Conservation Status

Species Status

Wild Population

Total Known Population

Spotted forktail

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Spotted green pigeon

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Spotted greenbul

The spotted greenbul or spotted bulbul, is a species of songbird in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is classified in the monotypic genus Ixonotus. It is widely spread throughout the African tropical rainforest, from Sierra Leone and Guinea to Ghana; southern Nigeria to Uganda, northern Tanzania, eastern and central Democratic Republic of the Congo and extreme north-western Angola. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, and moist savanna.