Sikkim Wedge-billed Babbler

The Sikkim wedge-billed babbler, or blackish-breasted babbler, is an Old World babbler named for the Indian state of Sikkim, found in Bhutan, India, Myanmar and Nepal. It inhabits the understorey of broadleaf evergreen forest and bamboo at 900–1,950 m, favouring westward-facing slopes in Bhutan, in subtropical or tropical moist lowland and montane forest. It is becoming rare due to habitat loss (Wikipedia, general species account).

The genus Sphenocichla had been erected for the Cachar wedge-billed babbler, and this species was moved to it, until molecular analysis showed the species nested among Stachyris and the genera were merged. It occurs in small parties and feeds on insects, particularly woodlice and boring beetles. SoIB 2023 treats it as an Eastern Himalayan endemic and rates it a High conservation priority, with a Very Restricted range of about 2,620 km² and insufficient data on trends (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).