Malia
Malia grata Schlegel, 1880
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The malia (Malia grata) is a medium-sized (approximately 29 cm long) babbler-like passerine. It has an olive-green plumage, yellowish head and chest, and pinkish-brown bill. The young is duller than the adult. It is the only member of the genus Malia.
An Indonesian endemic, the malia is restricted to montane forests of Sulawesi. Usually, it is found in pairs or small groups of three to seven birds. The diet consists mainly of insects, beetles and other arthropods.
There has been some debate over the taxonomic relationships of the malia. It has some plumage characteristics reminiscent of bulbuls, and has been shifted between that family and the wastebasket taxon Timaliidae sensu lato by past authors. A study published early in 2012 found that the malia was not a babbler; later in the same year, a second study determined that it was instead an aberrant member of the family Locustellidae.
Widespread and common in its habitat and range, the malia is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Wikipedia contributors, Malia grata; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T01:20:24.090759+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Malia grata Schlegel, 1880
- Name authority
- Schlegel, 1880
- Common name
- Malia
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Locustellidae
- Genus
- Malia
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderPasseriformes
- familyLocustellidae Bonaparte, 1875
- genusMalia Schlegel, 1880
- speciesMalia grata Schlegel, 1880
Close classified relatives
No other member of this genus is present in the selected snapshot.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=560956 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3XMVK. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.