Nonggang timalie
| Nonggang timalie | ||||||||||||
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Nonggang timalia ( Stachyris nonggangensis ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Stachyris nonggangensis | ||||||||||||
| Fang & Aiwu , 2008 |
The nonggang babbler ( Stachyris nonggangensis ) is discovered in 2005 and bird species described in 2008 from the family of babblers . It occurs in the Mekong region in the border area between the Chinese autonomous region of Guangxi and Vietnam .
features
The Nonggang timalia was described on the basis of two adult specimens collected by A. Jiang in 2006, one male and one female. The wings are short and rounded. The wing length is 68.2 mm in the male and 69.3 mm in the female. The medium-long tail has a length of 61.1 m in the male and 61.2 mm in the female. The barrel length is 29.2 mm (males) and 30.2 mm (females). The ridge of the beak is 17.6 mm long in the male and 18.3 mm in the female. The male weighs 33 g, the female 38 g.
The straight beak is black at the base, the upper beak has only a lighter tip, the distal half of the lower beak becomes increasingly dark brown towards the tip. The forehead, the top of the head, the reins and the chin are dark gray-brown. The forehead springs are stiff. The front of the feather crown around the ears (auricular) and the cheek region are dark gray-brown. A crescent-shaped, white spot can be seen behind the cheeks. The throat and upper breast feathers are white with dark gray-brown shafts. They give the throat and upper breast a dark gray-brown stain. The sides of the chest, the underbust, the belly, the flanks, the rear nape and the sides of the neck are dark gray-brown. The cloak, the upper and lower shoulder feathers, the upper back, the lower back, the rump and the upper tail-coverts are brown. The hand covers, the arm covers, the middle and small wing covers, the umbrella feathers, the tail feathers, the underbelly, the under tail covers and the rump are brown. The iris is light gray-green. The barrel, the claws and the feet are reddish black.
habitat
The Nonggang-Timalie lives in a montane karst region in well-developed bushland and seasonal rainforests , which are dominated by trees of the species Excentrodendron hsienmu . Of the 30 specimens observed between February 2005 and January 2006, most were on rocks in the woods, and a few could be seen in the trees.
Way of life
The Nonggang Timalia walks on rocks rather than flies. She only flees when startled, and only at a short distance. The timalia of the genus Napothera , which occur in the same area, show a similar behavior . The diet of the Nonggang Timalia consists of insects and other arthropods, which it gathers in crevices under fallen leaves. During the breeding season it can be observed in pairs, outside in small flocks of five to ten individuals. Nothing is known about the migrations and the raising of young of this species. A nest has not yet been discovered.
Existence and endangerment
Information on a hazard and the size of the population is not available. The known distribution area is currently limited to the Nonggang Nature Reserve in Guangxi, about 18 kilometers from the Vietnamese border. Around 100 pairs were detected by 2008. The habitat in the reserve is protected, but it is possible that the species can also be found outside the reserve, where the karst rainforests are endangered by deforestation and fires. Similar habitats are found in the limestone region in the northern highlands of Vietnam.
literature
- Zhou, F. & Jiang, A. (2008): A New Species of Babbler (Timaliidae: Stachyris) from the Sino-Vietnamese Border Region of China . In: The Auk 125 (2): pp. 420-424.
Web links
- photos
- Stachyris nonggangensis inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013.2. Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved February 6, 2014.