Chestnut-capped Babbler vs Rufous-fronted Babbler: How to Tell Them Apart

Chestnut-capped Babbler

Timalia pileata

Small16 gShrubland

The chestnut-capped babbler is a medium-sized (15.5–17 cm) babbler with a fairly long, wedge-shaped tail and a thick, black bill. The plumage is unbarred brown with characteristic head markings: a chestnut-coloured crown and black eye mask contrasting with a white forehead and white eyebrow line.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Mike Prince · CC BY 2.0

Rufous-fronted Babbler

Cyanoderma rufifrons

Tiny11 gForest

It is buff-brown with paler brown underparts and a dull rufous crown. Its upper wings, tail, supercilium and lores are whitish-grey. It is 12 cm (4.7 in) long and weighs 9–12 g (0.32–0.42 oz). Its song is a high-pitched tuh tuh-tuh-tuh-tuh-tuh.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: (c) Rejoice Gassah, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY

Where you might meet both

India Thailand Vietnam China Myanmar (Burma) Laos Indonesia Bangladesh

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Chestnut-capped Babbler and Rufous-fronted Babbler.