Category:Turdoides - BirdForum Opus

A Common Babbler, a typical representive of this genus. Photo: Rakesh

Genus: Turdoides

Description

This genus contains some 30 species, found in Africa, the Middle East and south Asia. They are often found in groups and occupy dry thorny open country from semi-desert with palm groves to open savanna and scrubby hillsides.
Turdoides-babblers have strong, point-tipped bills with both mandibles slightly decurved, short rictal bristles, firm short forehead feathering, a long tail and (with the exception of the Southern Pied-Babbler) pale or darker brown-grey backs and breast, sometimes with some streaking.

Taxonomy

Turdoides is a genus in the Family Leiothrichidae.
It was formerly included in the family Timaliidae.
The Spiny Babbler is sometimes placed in its own genus, Acanthoptila, but more study is needed to confirm this treatment. The same applies to the genus Argya which would include 11 species with longer, more graduated tails, longer slenderer bills and more rounded wings.

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
2. Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Turdoides. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 19 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Turdoides