Scaly-crowned Babbler

Scaly-crowned Babbler

Malacopteron cinereum

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Danum Valley Conservation Area

In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%

340 Verified sightings at Danum Valley Conservation Area From 2019 to 2026
796 In all 9 parks
October Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Scaly-crowned Babbler

The scaly-crowned babbler (Malacopteron cinereum) is a species of bird in the family Pellorneidae. It is found in Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest.

Collar, N. J. & Robson, C. 2007. Family Timaliidae (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. Wikipedia →

Sounds

Uncertain0:13

Vietnam · 2026

© Tim Dinh / Annambirding · XC1156673 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song0:41

Malaysia · 2025

© Ding Li Yong · XC990414 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Duet1:22

Thailand · 2025

© Greg Irving · XC976117 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Danum Valley Conservation Area 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~20%
2 Taman Negara National Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~20%
3 Way Kambas National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~10%
4 Gunung Leuser National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~10%
5 Cuc Phuong National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
~10%
6 Cat Tien National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
~10%
7 Khao Luang National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%
8 Sepilok 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%
9 Kinabalu Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Scaly-crowned Babbler in Danum Valley Conservation Area?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Scaly-crowned Babbler sighting in Danum Valley Conservation Area on a given day, based on 340 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 60th most-seen of the 258 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Scaly-crowned Babbler in Danum Valley Conservation Area?

October

In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Scaly-crowned Babbler in Danum Valley Conservation Area on a given day, against about 10% in May, the lowest month.

What time of day is best to see a Scaly-crowned Babbler?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Scaly-crowned Babbler sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Danum Valley Conservation Area the best place to see a Scaly-crowned Babbler?

Yes

Of the 9 parks where we can rate Scaly-crowned Babbler sightings, Danum Valley Conservation Area has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Taman Negara National Park (Malaysia, about 20%) and Way Kambas National Park (Indonesia, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Scaly-crowned Babbler live in Danum Valley Conservation Area?

Same genus: Malacopteron

The closest relatives of the Scaly-crowned Babbler that you can see in Danum Valley Conservation Area (genus Malacopteron, Malacopteron Babblers) are Sooty-capped Babbler (about 40%), Rufous-crowned Babbler (about 30%) and Moustached Babbler (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Scaly-crowned Babbler sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Scaly-crowned Babbler is recorded against all the birds logged in Danum Valley Conservation Area (340 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.

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