Photo: Tisha Mukherjee / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Black-eared Shrike-babbler
Pteruthius melanotis
Black-eared Shrike-babbler (Pteruthius melanotis) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South & Southeast Asia.
Found across 3 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Black-eared Shrike-babbler (Pteruthius melanotis) is a member of the Vireonidae family found in South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 13.3 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Vireonidae Vireos, Greenlets, Shrike-babblers
- Genus Pteruthius
- Species melanotis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 13.3 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Vireonidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Not Evaluated
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black-eared Shrike-babbler is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Black-eared Shrike-babbler is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Black-eared Shrike-babbler (Pteruthius melanotis) belongs to the Vireonidae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR Himalayas to w Malaysia.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 13.3 g, with a wing length of about 5.9 cm and a tail of around 4.1 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 841,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black-eared Shrike-babbler?
The Black-eared Shrike-babbler is a very small bird that weighs around 13.3 g.
Where does the Black-eared Shrike-babbler live?
The Black-eared Shrike-babbler is found across South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR Himalayas to w Malaysia, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Black-eared Shrike-babbler belong to?
The Black-eared Shrike-babbler (Pteruthius melanotis) belongs to the Vireonidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Black-eared Shrike-babbler eat?
The Black-eared Shrike-babbler is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Black-eared Shrike-babbler migrate?
The Black-eared Shrike-babbler is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Black-eared Shrike-babbler endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Black-eared Shrike-babbler make?
1 real field recording of the Black-eared Shrike-babbler — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Black-eared Shrike-babbler's range?
The Black-eared Shrike-babbler has a mapped global range of about 841,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
More in Vireonidae
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
More in Songbirds
Least Concern
Not Evaluated
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Guides for this bird
Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds
How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.