Intimacy across species boundaries: Interspecific allopreening between Spot‐necked (Stachyris strialata) and Nonggang Babblers (S. nonggangensis)

Abstract

Allopreening occurs in many species of birds and is known for providing hygienic and social benefits. While this behavior has been extensively studied among conspecifics, its occurrence among different species remains little known. Outside of captive environments, only a few records of interspecific allopreening exist. In this study, we describe our observations of the interspecific allopreening behavior between Spotnecked (Stachyris strialata) and Nonggang Babblers (S. nonggangensis) in a non-captive environment in southern China. To our knowledge, these observations represent the first record of interspecific allopreening in the family Timaliidae. We suggest that this