Animalia Life
Eupetes macrocerus
TAXONOMY
Eupetes macrocerus Temminck, 1831, Padang, Sumatra.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Malaysian rail-babbler; French: Eupиte а longue
queue; German: Rallenlдufer; Spanish: Hablantнn Malayo.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
11.4 in (29 cm). Brownish plumage with black legs and bill,
white brow stripe and black eye stripe, sometimes with bluish
stripe underneath.
DISTRIBUTION
E. m. macrocerus: Peninsular Thailand and Malaysia, Sumatra;
E. m. borneensis: Borneo. Lives up to 3,300 ft (1,000 m).
HABITAT
Broad-leaved evergreen forest in lowland and hills.
BEHAVIOR
Very shy. Drawn-out monotone whistle heard much more than
bird is seen. Walks on forest floor, jerking head like chicken;
runs with great speed, holding the head up and the tail depressed.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Eats insects and other small ground invertebrates.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Breeds January–July, laying two eggs.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Scarce to locally fairly common resident. Considered Near
Threatened by the IUCN and Birdlife International owing to
extensive logging in parts of its range.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
None known.
Photo Gallery of - Rail-babbler
