Malaysian Rail-babbler
Eupetes macrocerus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyEupetidae (Rail-babblers)
- GenusEupetes (Rail-Babblers)
- SpeciesEupetes macrocerus (Malaysian Rail-babbler)
About the Malaysian Rail-babbler
The rail-babbler or Malaysian rail-babbler (Eupetes macrocerus) is a brown and pied rail-like ground-living bird. It is the only species in the genus Eupetes and family Eupetidae. It lives on the floor of primary forests in the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra (the nominate subspecies macrocerus), as well as Borneo (ssp. borneensis). It is distantly related to African rockfowl. Its population has greatly decreased because much of the lowland primary forest has been cut, and secondary forests usually have too dense a bottom vegetation or do not offer enough shade to be favourable for the species. However, it is locally still common in logged forest or on hill-forest on slopes, and probably not in immediate danger of extinction. The species is poorly known and rarely seen, in no small part due to its shyness.
Opinions on the correct taxonomic placement for the rail-babbler have differed. At one time, it was placed in the Old World babbler family, Timaliidae. Until recently, it had been regarded as being related to a group which included the quail-thrushes and whipbirds, and placed in the family Cinclosomatidae (previously in Orthonychidae when the members of the Cinclosomatidae... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Taman Negara National Park
Oriental Magpie-Robin
Copsychus saularis
White-rumped Shama
Copsychus malabaricus
Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
Dicrurus paradiseus
Brown-cheeked Bulbul
Alophoixus bres
Red-eyed Bulbul
Pycnonotus brunneus
Chestnut-winged Babbler
Stachyris erythroptera
Asian Fairy-bluebird
Irena puella
Black-and-yellow Broadbill
Eurylaimus ochromalus
Stripe-throated Bulbul
Pycnonotus finlaysoni
Black-and-red Broadbill
Cymbirhynchus macrorhynchos
Green Broadbill
Calyptomena viridis
Pacific Swallow
Hirundo javanica
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taman Negara National Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 2 | Khao Luang National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 3 | Sepilok | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Malaysian Rail-babbler in Taman Negara National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Malaysian Rail-babbler sighting in Taman Negara National Park, based on 95 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Malaysian Rail-babbler in Taman Negara National Park?
September has the highest sighting rate for Malaysian Rail-babbler in Taman Negara National Park in our monthly data.