The
rusty-cheeked scimitar babbler (
Erythrogenys erythrogenys) is a passerine bird in the babbler family Timaliidae that is found in the Himalayas from northeast Pakistan to Bhutan. It was formerly considered as conspecific with the red-eyed scimitar babbler that is found in eastern Myanmar and northwestern Thailand.
Taxonomy: The rusty-cheeked scimitar babbler was formally described in 1831 by the Irish zoologist Nicholas Vigors under the binomial name
Pamatorhynus erythrogenys in John Gould´s book "Century of Birds from the Himalaya Mountains". The description was accompanied by a hand coloured illustration drawn by Elizabeth Gould. In 1924 the type locality was restricted to "Shimla–Almora". The specific epithet combines the Ancient Greek ερυθρος/
eruthros meaning "red" with γενυος/
genuos meaning "cheek". The rusty-cheeked scimitar babbler is now one of seven scimitar babblers placed in the genus
Erythrogenys. The species was formerly regarded as conspecific with the red-eyed scimitar babbler (
Erythrogenys imberbis) that is found in eastern Myanmar and northwestern Thailand. The red-eyed scimitar babbler in now considered as a separate species based on the differences in morphology and vocalization.
Three subspecies are recognised:
- E. e. erythrogenys (Vigors, 1831) – west Himalayas (northeast Pakistan and north India)
- E. e. ferrugilatus (Hodgson, 1836) – west, central Nepal
- E. e. haringtoni (Baker, ECS, 1914) – east Nepal to east Bhutan
The species is olive-brown above, with rusty colouring on the sides of the face, head, thighs, and flanks. The belly is mostly white. Sexes are alike. The beak is long and decurved in a scimitar shape.
Distribution and habitat: The rusty-cheeked scimitar babbler is found from the Himalayas to Myanmar. It inhabits subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest habitats at elevations up to .
Ecology: The bird feeds mostly on the forest floor and in low canopy, forming small groups. Food items include insects, grubs and seeds. Calls consist of a mellow, fluty whistle, a two-noted "
CUE..PE...CUE..pe" call followed by single note replay by mate, guttural alarm calls and a liquid contact note. The species is generally quite noisy.