Nepal Cupwing
Pnoepyga immaculata
尼泊尔鹪鹛
Introduction
A passerine bird in the family Pnoepygidae, native to Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Tibet, and Nepal. Inhabits dense montane forest in the Himalayas, typically at elevations between 1800-3100 meters. Distinguished by its extremely short tail and virtually identical external morphology to related species, making vocal identification the primary field method. Conservation status is Least Concern.
Description
A small bird measuring 8.5-10 cm in length with brownish-olive coloration. The upperparts display dark scaling, while the underparts show paler scaling. It has a scaly breast with brown central feathers, pale edging on the flight feathers, and a very short tail that is barely visible in the field.
Identification
External morphology is nearly identical to other species in the genus, making visual identification extremely difficult. The primary distinguishing feature is the distinctive song: a higher-pitched vocalization compared to other cupwings, consisting of a steady series of thin, short, rapid, modulated whistles that descend in pitch.
Distribution & Habitat
Native to the foothills of the Himalayas in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Nepal, and around Zhangmu in Tibet. Inhabits dense understorey in median and low mountain elevations. Not migratory but performs altitudinal movements, wintering down to 250 meters. Regular between 1800-2200 meters with possible breeding up to 3100 meters. Prefers dark forest and stays on the forest floor.
Behavior & Ecology
Forages on the forest floor in dense understorey. The song consists of a steady series of thin, short, rapid, modulated whistles that descend in pitch, and is higher pitched than other species in the genus.
Conservation
Least Concern.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Taxonomy
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Pnoepygidae
- Genus
- Pnoepyga
- eBird Code
- immwrb1
Distribution
Himalayas of Nepal; winters to terai lowlands
Data Sources
Species description from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Taxonomy data from AviList 2025.