Alternative names: Northern White-rumped Babbler; Abyssinian Babbler
- Turdoides leucopygia
Identification
25 - 27cm (9¾-10¾ in). A medium-sized Turdoides-babbler with a rather variable plumage.
- Cold grey-brown plumage
- Scaly breast
- White lower belly and white rump
- Face and chin whitish
- Red eye with yellow inner ring
- Black bill
- Slaty grey legs
Juveniles are duller with a brownish crown.
Distribution
Eastern Africa: found in Sudan, South Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia.
Frequent to common in most of its range.
Taxonomy
May form a superspecies with Hartlaub's Babbler, Black-faced Babbler and Sharpe's Babbler.
The scientific name has been spelled Turdoides leucopygius in the past.
Subspecies
Five subspecies usually accepted[1]:
- T. l. leucopygia in central Eritrea and adjacent Ethiopia
- T. l. limbata in extreme eastern Sudan, western Eritrea, and northwestern Ethiopia
- T. l. smithii from east-central Ethiopia to northwest Somalia
- T. l. lacuum in south-central Ethiopia
- T. l. omoensis in southeastern South Sudan and western and southwestern Ethiopia
Proposed clarkei usually merged with omoensis.
Habitat
Stony terrain in hilly areas with light woodland. Also thick scrub, dense second growth bordering evergreen forest, trees along rivers, scattered thickets, reedbeds and farmbush. Generally between 1250m and 2450m, lower in Eritrea.
Behaviour
Diet
No information about diet, probably mainly invertebrates, berries and seeds.
Usually seen in family parties of 6 - 8 birds. Forages largely on the ground, keeping inside cover.
Breeding
Photo by volker sthamer
Click on picture to enlarge
Breeding season August in Somalia, November to December and February to June in Ethiopia. The nest is a untidy large cup made of rootlets, grass, twigs and leaves. It's placed in a thick bush or in a tree fork. Lays 2 - 4 turquoise blue eggs.
Movements
Resident species.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- 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
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) White-rumped Babbler. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 6 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/White-rumped_Babbler
