Rusty Cheeked Scimitar Babbler, Bhutan

The rusty-cheeked scimitar babbler is a species of bird in the Timaliidae family native to South-East Asia. The species is olive-brown above with rusty coluring 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. 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. It is classified as least concern by IUCN.