- Argya squamiceps
Turdoides squamiceps
Identification
26-29 cm (10¼-11½ in)
- Grey-brown upperparts, with dark streaks on the back
- Paler below
- Whitish throat
- Long curved bill
- Long tail
- Rounded wings
- Strong legs and feet
Distribution
Africa, Middle East
Northern Africa: Egypt
Middle East: Israel, Jordan, Arabian Peninsula, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, United Arab Emirates
Taxonomy
This species is sometimes placed in genus Turdoides.
Subspecies
There are 3 subspecies[1]:
- A. s. squamiceps:
- Arabian Peninsula (Dead Sea depression to south-western Saudi Arabia)
- A. s. yemensis:
- A. s. muscatensis:
- Arabian coast of Gulf of Oman
Habitat
Acacia Desert, scrubland and savanna.
Behaviour
Diet
Their diet consists of insects, small vertebrates, leaves, berries and seeds.
Breeding
They construct a large cup shaped nest from grass, twigs and other plant material. The clutch contains three to five turquoise eggs which are incubated for 13 to 14 days; the young birds fledge after about 14 days.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Avibase
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved October 2018)
- BF Member observations
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Arabian Babbler. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 4 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Arabian_Babbler
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.
