Slender-billed Babbler Argya longirostris
- Nominate – NW Bihar, in India, also NE India from N West Bengal E through R Brahmaputra Plains to Assam.
- A.l. arcana – Manipur Valley (NE India)
Etymology :
- Argya: Latin word arguer- to accuse, Noisy
- Longirostris: Latin word longus- long; rostris –billed {Long Billed}
- Arcana : Latin word arcanus for secret, hidden
Vernacular Name: Cachar: Dao ling titri
Distribution in India: Resident of North East India.
Description: Size of 22–23 cm; Weight of 35 g. It is a slim, long-tailed Turdoides babbler, dark chestnut above and rufous-buff below, with dark narrow decurved bill. The nominate race has dark chestnut-tinged brown crown, shading to chestnut-tinged brown on upperparts, upperwing and tail. The tail is with faint narrow bars. Its lores, upper submoustachial area, chin and mid-throat whitish-buff, ear-coverts, lower submoustachial area and underparts are rufous-buff. The iris is white or bluish-white; bill is black; legs are dark brown. Both the sexes are similar. The juvenile is paler and more rufescent than adult, with pale lower mandible.
Sub Species found in India : Race arcana is darker than nominate, very dark chocolate-chestnut to maroon-brown above.
Habitat: It is found in long grass and reeds, usually near water, ditches or lakes, grassy plateaux. It is found in mostly lowlands to 250 m. Sub Sp Arcana is found at 775 m in Manipur Valley.
Food habits: It eats insects. It is gregarious and noisy, as congeners, but in breeding season occurs singly and in pairs. It is very skulking, staying in dense grass and reeds. It forages on ground, also higher up, among grass and reed stems.
Breeding habits: They breed in May–Jun. The nest is a neat cup made of leaves, grass blades, stems and a few twigs, bound together with fibres and rootlets, lined with fine grass stems and rootlets. The nest is placed in scrubby bush in grassland. They lay a clutch of 3–5 eggs.