Chin Hills Wren Babbler     Spelaeornis oatesi

Etymology

• Spelaeornis: Greek word spelaion- cave; ornis – bird { Cave dwelling bird}

• Oatesi: Ornithologist Eugene William Oates (1845–1911) British naturalist and civil servant in India 

Distribution in India: Resident of Lushai hills, Mizoram in India.

Description: It has a size of 11–12 cm. It is a small brown-and-white wren-babbler without rufous tones below.

The male has crown, submoustachial area and malar area connecting to neck side and upperparts as olive-brown with darker fringes (creating rather dense but vague scaly effect), plain upperwing and tail slightly more rufescent. The lores and ear-coverts are olive-buff; chin to lower belly are white with dark brown spots, flanks are olive-brown with buff and dark spots, thighs and vent are plain olive-brown; iris is brown; bill is blackish; legs are brown.

Female is very like male, but slightly duller white below.

The juvenile is warmer brown above with little scaling, washed warm brown below, with only throat and mid-belly white, fewer spots.

Habitat: It occupies understorey of broadleaf evergreen forest, forest edge, secondary growth, scrub, fern clumps, bamboo thickets, and tangles of grass and scrub on steep slopes near forest. It is found at 1400–2800 m.

Food habits: It eats  small invertebrates. It is seen foraging close to ground.

Breeding habits:  They breed in Mar–Jun. The nest is a large domed, firmly woven oval with entrance near top or side, made externally of dead leaves, canna leaves and coarse grasses, internally of grass stems, fibers and moss, lined with peculiar absorbent waterproof substance, placed among dry grass or among stems of low plant on damp sloping bank. They lay a clutch of 2–4 eggs.