4. Rathu Demalichcha

 


Common Name:   Orange-billed babbler

Scientific Name:   Turdoides rufescens

Animal Family:   Laughingthrushes

Description:   25cm. Medium- sized rusty-chestnut Argya babbler with orange- yellow bill and yellow legs. It is fairy common, living in flocks of seven or ten more. It is a noisy bird, and the presence of a flock may generally be known at some distance by the continual chattering, squeaking, and chirping with its members converse together.

Population:   In bird surveys of the wet and montane zone of Sri Lanka 2007-2009, Goodale et al. (2014) has 1,989 detections of this species and Kotagama and Goodale (2004) recorded it as being the most abundant species in mixed- species flock.

Found where:   Present in Sri Lanka EBA. Fairy common to  common in wet lowlands, usually rare on adjacent hills, but occasionally common above 700 m. Common in Sinharaja Forest Reserve.

Habitat:   Its habitat is rainforest, and it is seldom seen away from deep jungle. Although its habitat is under threat, it occurs in all the forests of the wet zone, and is quite common at prime sites Kithulgala  and Sinharaja.

Foods:   They are found mainly close to the ground where they feed on insects and berries but will also make use of trees.

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