Babblers (Timaliidae)

Streak-breasted Scimitar-babbler (Pomatorhinus ruficollis) - HBW 12, p. 169

French: Pomatorhin à col roux German: Rothalssäbler Spanish: Cimitarra Cuellirrufa
Other common names: Rufous-necked Scimitar-babbler; Nepal Rufous-necked Scimitar-babbler (Himalayas)

Taxonomy: [Pomatorhinus] Ruficollis Hodgson, 1836, Nepal.
Closely related to P. musicus and formerly treated as conspecific. In C Laos (Nam Theun watershed), population of scimitar-babblers exhibits signs of intergradation between present species (race beaulieui) and P. schisticeps, such that attribution to one species or the other has proved problematic, hence triggering opinion that the two species may be conspecific; in Himalayas and upper Myanmar, however, the two occur alongside one another and behave as separate species; more work needed. Birds in SC China (SE Sichuan S to N Guangxi and W Hunan) formerly treated as race intermedius, but latter name invalid, as preoccupied; replaced by new name hunanensis. Nominate race intergrades with godwini in E Nepal. Contrary to some recent opinions, styani appears to be a valid race, although considerable intermediacy among races suggests much clinal variation. Other named races are bhamoensis (from Bhamo area, in NE Myanmar), synonymized with similis, and usheri (C Sichuan, in SC China), synonymized with eidos. Thirteen subspecies currently recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

ruficollis Hodgson, 1836 - N India (E Uttaranchal Pradesh) E to EC Nepal.
godwini Kinnear, 1944 - EC Nepal E to NE India (Arunachal Pradesh) and adjacent S China (SE Xizang).
bakeri Harington, 1914 - NE Indian hill states (S of R Brahmaputra), SE Bangladesh and W Myanmar.

See all 13 subspecies

ruficollis Hodgson, 1836 - N India (E Uttaranchal Pradesh) E to EC Nepal.
godwini Kinnear, 1944 - EC Nepal E to NE India (Arunachal Pradesh) and adjacent S China (SE Xizang).
bakeri Harington, 1914 - NE Indian hill states (S of R Brahmaputra), SE Bangladesh and W Myanmar.
similis Rothschild, 1926 - N Myanmar and S China (NW & W Yunnan E to SW Sichuan).
styani Seebohm, 1884 - E China (S Gansu and N & NE Sichuan E to S Jiangsu and N Zhejiang).
eidos Bangs, 1930 - SC China (C Sichuan and adjacent extreme NE Yunnan).
laurentei La Touche, 1921 - Kunming area of C Yunnan (SC China).
albipectus La Touche, 1923 - SC China (SW Yunnan) and extreme N Laos.
beaulieui Delacour & Greenway, 1940 - N & C Laos.
reconditus Bangs & Phillips, 1914 - S China (SE Yunnan, SW Guangxi) and N Vietnam (Tonkin, N Annam).
hunanensis Cheng Tsohsin, 1974 - SE China (SE Sichuan and Guizhou E to W Hunan and N Guangxi).
stridulus Swinhoe, 1861 - SE China (E Hunan and Guangdong E to S Zhejiang and Fujian).
nigrostellatus Swinhoe, 1870 - Hainan I.