Turdoides nipalensis
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
The spiny babbler (Turdoides nipalensis) is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. Found only in the Middle Hills of Nepal, it can for example be seen around the Kathmandu valley, specifically around the Godavari and Phulchoki area close to the city of Lalitpur.
Also known locally as the Kande Bhyakur, literally translated "thorny bird". It was first scientifically described by Brian Houghton Hodgson in the mid-19th century, then never seen again and even feared extinct until famously rediscovered by Sidney Dillon Ripley, an American ornithologist, in the late 1940s.
It is predominantly a shy bird but can be seen in the early breeding season when the males sing out in the open. It lives in dense scrubs and mounts branches of bushes and small trees to sing. It is threatened by the clearance of scrub for agriculture and expansion of urban areas.
Collar, N. J. & Robson, C. 2007. Family Timaliidae ( Spiny Babblers) pp. 70 – 291 in; del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A. & Christie, D.A. eds. Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol. 12. Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Spiny babbler (Turdoides nipalensis) at eBird. Spiny babbler... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Langtang National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kathmandu | 🇳🇵 Nepal |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Spiny Babbler sighting in Kathmandu on a given day, based on 75 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 172nd most-seen of the 312 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Spiny Babbler in Kathmandu on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Only Kathmandu, in our data
Kathmandu is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Spiny Babbler sightings: under 5% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Spiny Babbler is recorded against all the birds logged in Kathmandu (75 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
