Jewel-babbler

Taxobox
name = Jewel-babblers


regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Passeriformes
familia = Cinclosomatidae
genus = "Ptilorrhoa"
genus_authority = Peters, JL, 1940
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision =4, see text
range_

---

range_map_width = 200px
range_map_caption = Global range (In red)

The jewel-babblers are a genus, "Ptilorrhoa" of birds in the Cinclosomatidae family. The genus contains four species that are endemic to New Guinea. The genus was once considered to contain the Rail-babbler, but that species is now considered to belong to its own family. The genus is closely related to the better known quail-thrushes ("Cinclosoma") of New Guinea and Australia. Together with a number of other genera they comprise the family Cinclosomatidae, although the validity of this family as a whole has been questioned.

The jewel-babblers resemble the quail-thrushes in shape, being plump, long-tailed and short winged. They are adapted to life on the forest floor. The plumage of this genus is the most striking divergence from the quail-thrushes, having large amounts of blue and often with chestnut on the back. The throats of all species are white and the patch is mostly surrounded by a black edge. There is moderate levels of sexual dimorphism in the plumage, except in the Dimorphic Jewel-babbler where the female has no blue and is all chestnut coloured. When moving they hold the body horziontally to the ground, and bob their heads back and forth in a similar fashion to pigeons, and move their tail in a fashion similar to wagtails.

The jewel-babblers as a whole are not a well known or studied genus.

It contains the following species:
* Spotted Jewel-babbler ("Ptilorrhoa leucosticta")
* Dimorphic Jewel-babbler ("Ptilorrha geislerorum")
* Blue Jewel-babbler ("Ptilorrhoa caerulescens")
* Chestnut-backed Jewel-babbler ("Ptilorrhoa castanonota")

References

* 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 9788496553422