Ceylon Scimitar Babbler

Sri Lanka Scimitar Babbler "Pomatorhinus melanurus"

The males and females look alike and measure around 22 cm. The long sickle shaped yellow bill, the habit of feeding by searching on the trunk of trees and the very characteristic call enable the birds to be identified easily.

The bird is found in all suitable humid tall forest patches in the island except in the north peninsular. Its present distribution is primarily restricted to this habitat preference. In the hill country the bird is seen in the estates with good tree cover, specially along river reservations.

They are regular members of mixed species feeding flocks of the wet zone. The call is often a duet, the male calling first followed almost immediately by the female. Thus, it is heard as a single call.

They are known to breed from December to February. The nest is built from mosses, leaves etc. in to a bank, ledge, tree cavity, an open cup-shaped. 3-5 white eggs are laid.