Turdoides nipalensis
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
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 Langtang National Park on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 188th most-seen of the 225 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Spiny Babbler in Langtang National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July to April, the lowest months. That is one of Langtang National Park's wettest months, with about 220 mm of rain against 10 mm in November.
Only Langtang National Park, in our data
Langtang National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Spiny Babbler sightings: under 5% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same family: Leiothrichidae
The closest relatives of the Spiny Babbler that you can see in Langtang National Park (family Leiothrichidae, Laughingthrushes and Allies) are Streaked Laughingthrush (about 60%), Rufous Sibia (about 50%) and Variegated Laughingthrush (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Spiny Babbler is recorded against all the birds logged in Langtang National Park (8 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.
