Long-billed Wren Babbler  Rimator malacoptilus

Etymology:

• Rimator: Latin word for Investigator, Examiner derived from rimari to examine
• Malacoptilus: Greek word malakos- soft; ptilon-plumage, feather {one with soft plumage}

Vernacular Names : Cachar: Dao-mojo-buku-galao, Lepcha: Karriak-tungbrek-pho

One of the most elusive babblers found in India and very rarely seen in open.

Distribution in India: Resident in East Himalayas and North East Indian hills.

Description: Size of 11-12 Cm. The sexes are identical, Small, almost tailless streaky brown babbler with very long, slightly down curving bill, blackish moustache. Crown, nape and head side are brown. They are found in broadleaf evergreen forest, forest edge, bamboo, secondary growth. They are found at 3000-7000 feet above mean sea level.

Food Habits: They feed mainly on invertebrates. Forages on floor and in undergrowth. Skulking; hops on ground and among low vegetation, rummaging among fallen leaves looking for prey.

Breeding Habits: They breed in May–July in India. Nest is a loose untidy globe with entrance near top, made of leaves, grasses, roots, bracken fronds and weed. The normal clutch is three or four eggs. The Chicks are Precocial (with open eyes and down feathers). They are fed insects for faster growth and water content. The chicks grow faster and leave the nest within 3 weeks.