Alternative Name: Fulvous Chatterer
- Turdoides fulva
Identification
A medium-sized (25cm), featureless Turdoides-babbler
- Sandy-brown plumage
- Whitish throat
- Blackish bill
- Long, graduated tail
Distribution
Northern Africa: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt
Western Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, Senegambia, Mali, Niger, Chad
Eastern Africa: Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti
Taxonomy
Four subspecies usually accepted:
- T. f. maroccana (billypayni):
- T. f. fulva:
- T. f. buchanani:
- T. f. acaciae:
The scientific name has been spelled Turdoides fulvus in the past.
This species is sometimes placed in genus Argya.
Habitat
Desert scrub, thorny thickets, dry grassland with bushes, tree clumps in barren arid land, dry riverbeds.
Behaviour
Feeds on invertebrates, seeds, grain and berries.
Forages mainly on the ground, probing with its bill at earth or in vegetation. Usually seen in small groups of 4 to 5 birds, sometimes more. May become tame if provisioned with food in desert camps.
Breeding season differs through range, mostly between March and August. Breeding pairs may have one or two helpers. The nest is a loose deep cup of thin twigs and dry grass. It's placed in a thorn bush, brushwood or palm crown. Lays 4 -5 eggs.
Resident species with some short-distance movement related to rains.
References
- Avibase
- Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- 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) Fulvous Babbler. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 15 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Fulvous_Babbler
