Brown-cheeked Fulvetta

The brown-cheeked fulvetta (Alcippe poioicephala) or brown-cheeked alcippe. It was earlier also known as the quaker babbler.

This species is one of those retained in the genus Alcippe after the true fulvettas and some others were removed; the group had turned out to contain quite unrelated birds. Its closest relatives are probably the brown fulvetta and the black-browed fulvetta, which was only recently recognized as a distinct species again. The Javan fulvetta and the Nepal fulvetta might also belong to this group.

The brown-cheeked fulvetta is a resident breeding bird in Bangladesh, India and Southeast Asia. Its habitat is undergrowth in moist forests and scrub jungle. This species, like most babblers, is not migratory, and has short rounded wings and a weak flight.

This babbler builds its nest in trees, concealed in dense masses of foliage. The normal clutch is two or three eggs.

The brown-cheeked fulvetta measures 15 cm including its longish tail. It is brown above and buff, with no patterning on the body or wings. The crown is grey, and the cheeks are dark.

Brown-cheeked fulvettas have short, dark bills. Their food is mainly insects and nectar. They can be difficult to observe in the dense vegetation they prefer, but these are vocal birds, and their characteristic calls are often the best indication that they are present.