The Grey-crowned Crocias - Crocias langbianbis - is one of the rarest birds in Vietnam and least known birds in Asia. It has just been discovered at a new location in Kon Tum Province significantly extending its known global range and offering hope that the species may not be as threatened with extinction. Previously it was known only from sites in Lam Dong and Dak Lak provinces.

Grey-crowned Crocias

The Grey-crowned Crocias (Crocias langbianis) is endemic to the Da Lat plateau, southern Vietnam. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes.

Description

A slim babbler with slaty-grey crown, blackish mask and boldly blackish-streaked flanks. Dull rufous upperparts with blackish-brown streaks and faint, pale shaft streaks on crown, nape and mask. White rest of underparts. Mostly slaty-grey, white-tipped tail, mostly grey greater coverts and secondaries and white-fringed, blackish primaries. Juvenile has browner crown with broader buffish streaks, duller head-sides, smaller flank-streaks, browner greater coverts and secondaries and narrower, white tail feather tips

Call

A loud wip'ip'ip-wiu-wiu-wiu-wiu-wiu-wiu-wiu

Conservation Status – Endangered

It is threatened by habitat loss. A government resettlement programme has greatly increased human pressure on the Da Lat plateau, exacerbating problems of forest degradation and fragmentation through logging, shifting agriculture, fuelwood-collection and charcoal production.

Birdwatching

Ask Aves Birding Tours/Safaris/Adventures to create a tour for you to see these endangered babblers.