Spotted Wren-Babbler (Elachura formosa Walden)

***

The Spotted Wren-Babbler or Spotted Elachura (or just Elachura) is an approximately 10 cm long, inconspicuous bird that inhabits the understory of dense forests in South- and Southeast Asia. 

The species was originally described as a wren, later assigned to the timalia family and finally placed in its own monotypic family because it does not appear to be related to any other bird species; however, it has similarly shaped foot soles as the waxwings (Bombycilidae) and goldcrests (Regulidae), which are also taxonomically quite isolated, but no further studies have been carried out on this yet. [1][2]

*********************

*********************

References: 

[1] Per Alström; Daniel M. Hooper; Yang Liu; Urban Olsson; Dhananjai Mohan; Magnus Gelang; Hung Le Manh; Jian Zhao; Fumin Lei; Trevor D. Price: Discovery of a relict lineage and monotypic family of passerine birds. Biology Letters 10(3): 1-5. 2014
[2] Jon Fjeldså; Les Christidis; Per G. P. Ericson: The Largest Avian Radiation: The Evolution of Perching Birds, or the Order Passeriformes. Lynx Edicions 2020

*********************

edited: 09.10.2023