- Malaysian Rail-babbler
Taxobox
name = Malaysian Rail-babbler
status = NT | status_system = IUCN3.1
regnum =Animal ia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo =Passeriformes
subordo =Passeri
familia = Eupetidae
genus = "Eupetes"
genus_authority = Temminck 1831
species = "E. macrocerus"
binomial = "Eupetes macrocerus"
binomial_authority = Temminck, 1831The Malaysian Rail-babbler ("Eupetes macrocerus") is a strange rail-like pied inhabitant of the floor of primary forest in the
Malay Peninsula andSumatra (the nominate subspecies "macrocerus"), as well asBorneo (ssp. "borneensis"), distantly related toAustralia ncrow -likebird s. Its population has greatly decreased because much of the lowlandprimary forest has been cut, andsecondary forest s usually have too dense a bottom vegetation or do not offer enough shade to be favourable for the species. However, it is locally still common in logged forest or on hill-forest on slopes, and probably not in immediate danger ofextinct ion.Taxonomy
Opinions on the correct taxonomic placement for the rail-babbler have differed. Until recently, it had been regarded as being related to a group which included the
quail-thrush es andwhipbirds , and placed in the familyCinclosomatidae (previously inOrthonychidae when the members of the Cinclosomatidae were regarded as belonging with the logrunners).However, Serle (1952) had pointed out a number of similarities between this species and the two species of
rockfowl ("Picathartes"): similar proportions, the position of the nostrils, the shape of the forehead, and that of the tail. [Serle, W. (1952) The affinities of the genus "Picathartes" Lesson. "Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club " 72: 2-6] Based on molecular studies, Jønsson et al (2007) [Jønsson, K.A., J. Fjeldså, P.G.P. Ericson, and M. Irestedt. 2007. doi-inline|doi:10.1098/rsbl.2007.0054|Systematic placement of an enigmatic Southeast Asian taxon Eupetes macrocerus and implications for the biogeography of a main songbird radiation, the Passerida. "Biology Letters " 3(3):323-326] argues that this is closer to the correct position for this species; the rail-babbler is most closely related to therockjumper s, another early branch of theoscine passerine s. As such, it is more correctly placed in amonotypic family, Eupetidae. [Note that, prior to the research by Jønsson et al, some literature has used the name Eupetidae as a name for a family containing rail-babbler and the whipbirds, but excluding the quail-thrushes; however this is now known to be an artificial grouping.] This is one of only three bird families restricted to the Orientalzoogeographical region .References
Bibliography
* Del Hoyo, J.; Elliot, A. & Christie D. (editors). (2007). "
Handbook of the Birds of the World ". Volume 12: Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees. Lynx Edicions. ISBN 9788496553422External links
* [http://montereybay.com/creagrus/rail-babbler.html Rail-babbler page at Don Roberson's Bird Families of the World website]
* [http://www.pbase.com/con_foley/malaysian_rail_babbler Photographs]
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