Large Scimitar Babbler

Common name for a ca. 28 cm tall bird in the Timaliidae family and with the scientific binomial designation Pomatorhinus hypoleucos. It is found in South and Southeast Asia, from northeastern India, southern China and Bangladesh, over Myanmar and Thailand, to Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, and down to Malaysia. It is a rather rare species and its natural habitat consists of subtropical to tropical moist lowland forests, and subtropical to tropical moist montane forests. There are at least five know subspecies. Above, the nominate race is largely dark rubiginous brown with a greyish shine, and with a distinctive patch behind the eyes, that is brown above and rusty red on the lower end. Below, the bird is white with a buff wash, but at the flanks the white feathers have slate grey edges. It has a long yet nebulous white brow, that becomes wider and more smeared out towards the neck and back, though this feature might be absent with some subspecies. It feeds mainly on insects, which it catches with its long downward curved bill, which is ivory grey in colour and becomes slightly darker towards the base of the upper mandible. In Thai, this species is known as nok rawang phay pahk yahw (นกระวังภัยปากยาว). See also POSTAGE STAMP. 回