Alternative names: Thrush-Babbler; African Thrush-Babbler; White-bellied Babbler; Jonjon
- Illadopsis turdina
Identification
16.5cm. Resembles a large Illadopsis but song and underparts are different:
- Long straight bill
- Rufous forehead, crown, mantle and sides
- Brown wings and tail
- Chin, throat and lores white
- Cheek and ear-coverts mottled white and rufous
- White breast with rufous spots
- White belly and vent
Distribution
Three separate populations in Africa: Cameroon, south Sudan and northeast Democratic Republic of the Congo and southeast Democratic Republic of the Congo, extreme east Angola and northwest Zambia.
Fairly common in parts of its range. Only one recored from Central African Republic and possibly under threat of habitat loss in Zambia.
Taxonomy
Three subspecies described:
- I. t. harterti in central and east Cameroon
- I. t. turdina in Sudan, northeast Democratic Republic of the Congo and one record in Central African Republic.
- I. t. upembae in southeast Democratic Republic of the Congo, extreme east Angola and northwest Zambia
Sometimes placed in the genus Ptyrticus.
Habitat
Dense bush and grass thickets near forest streams, undergrowth in gallery forest, moist evergreen riparian forest and lowland damp woodland. Up to 900m in Cameroon, 1600m in Democratic Republic of Congo.
Behaviour
Feeds on invertebrates, takes also small frogs.
Usually seen in pairs or small groups of up to six birds. Forages in undergrowth.
Breeding season probably June to November in northeast and October to December in south Congo. No information about nest or clutch size.
Resident species.
References
- 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
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2015. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2015, with updates to August 2015. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Spotted Thrush-Babbler. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 29 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Spotted_Thrush-Babbler
