Pterorhinus woodi
The Mount Victoria Babax, Pterorhinus woodi, is a striking medium-sized babbler, typically measuring 23-25 cm (9-10 inches) in length with a relatively long tail. Its most distinctive field marks include a dark crown heavily flecked with white, a prominent white supercilium contrasting with a dark loral and eye-stripe, and brownish upperparts. The underparts are whitish, often subtly streaked with dusky markings on the flanks. This species belongs to the family Leiothrichidae, a diverse group...
This babax inhabits montane evergreen and pine forests, preferring dense undergrowth, bamboo thickets, and rhododendron patches, typically at elevations between 2,000 and 3,000 meters.
Primarily insectivorous, feeding on a variety of invertebrates including beetles, caterpillars, and spiders, supplemented occasionally with berries or small seeds. They forage by gleaning from foliage and probing in moss and bark.
The Mount Victoria Babax is generally observed foraging in small, cohesive groups of 3-10 individuals, often moving through dense undergrowth and low branches in the early mornings and late afternoons. Their foraging strategy involves actively gleaning insects from foliage and probing moss and ba...
The Mount Victoria Babax is an endemic resident of the Chin Hills in western Myanmar, with its core distribution centered around Nat Ma Taung (Mount Victoria), which is Myanmar's third-highest peak. Its range extends to suitable montane habitats within the surrounding mountain chain, primarily wi...
Near Threatened
- The Mount Victoria Babax is endemic to a single mountain range, the Chin Hills in western Myanmar, making it a highly localized species. - Its scientific name, *woodi*, honors Colonel S.R. Wood, a British army officer and naturalist who collected specimens in the region. - This species was form...