From Opus

Photo by Rajiv Lather
Location: Karnal, India, May 2006

Alternative names: Striated Babbler; Deccan Babbler (somvervillei)

Turdoides striata

[edit] Identification

25cm. The most widespread Turdoides-babbler of the Indian Subcontinent.

• Drab grey plumage
• Yellow bill
• Pale lores
• Pale yellowish eyes

Other plumage markings are variable and diffuse. Juveniles are browner-tinged overall.

[edit] Confusion species

Yellow-billed Babbler has pale bluish eyes and pale panel on wing. All other Turdoides-babblers of the region don't have a yellow bill and most of them are much more streaked.

[edit] Distribution

India, Nepal, Bhutan and Pakistan.
Common in most of its range.

[edit] Taxonomy

Five subspecies usually accepted:

• T. s. sindiana in Pakistan and northwest India
• T. s. striata along the Himalayan foothills
• T. s. orientalis in central and south India
• T. s. somervillei in coastal western India
• T. s. malabarica in southwest India from Goa to Kerala

May form a superspecies with Orange-billed Babbler and has been considered conspecific with it.
The scientific name was formerly spelled Turdoides striatus.

[edit] Habitat

Found in a wide variety of habitats from open and secondary forest to scrubland, plantations, orchards, hedges in cultivation or bushes in waste ground..
Locally up to 1830m.

[edit] Behaviour

Feeds mainly on insects but takes also frogs, grain, seeds, berries and nectar.
Gregarious and often in big groups of 6 to 12 birds or in mixed-species flocks, sometimes mixing with Yellow-billed Babbler. Usually foraging on the ground. Breeding season all year, peak time from February to October. The nest is a loose, deep or shallow cup, made of grasses. It's placed in a bush, hedge or in a small tree. 3-7 deep greenish blue eggs are laid.
Resident species.

[edit] References

1. Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2007. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 12: Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553422

1. Rasmussen, PC and JC Anderton. 2005. Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8487334672

[edit] External Links