Capuchin Babbler - BirdForum Opus

Turdoides atripennis

Phyllanthus atripennis

Identification

With 21 - 24cm a stout, chunky and short-tailed Babbler from Africa¹:

• Blackish-maroon plumage (more rufous in bohndorffi)
• Grey head
• Creamy-yellow bill

Distribution

Patchily distributed in West and Central Africa. Found in the Gambia and Senegal, south to Liberia, then from the Ivory Coast east to Nigeria (very local) and W Cameroon. Furthermore in C Africa in the S of the Central African Republic, NE Democratic Republic of Congo and W Uganda.
Local, but common in parts of its range and not globaly threatened. Records in Mali doubtful.¹

Taxonomy

This is a polytypic species^[2] consisting of 3 subspecies.

Subspecies

• T. a. atripennis:

• Gambia to Ivory Coast

• T. a. rubiginosus:

• Ivory Coast to southern Nigeria

• T. a. bohndorffi:

• Northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and western Uganda

Other authorities¹ regard haynesi as junior synonym of rubiginosus and replace it.

Habitat

Undergrowth, dense thickets, lush streamside growth in broadleaf evergreen forest. Also primary mountain forest, secondary forest and secondary growth, sometimes in well-wooded gardens.

Behaviour

Does usually keep to the darkest, thickest parts of the vegetation. Found in noisy flocks of 4 - 12 birds, sometimes in pairs. Often together with other species like Blackcap Babbler.
Feeds on invertebrates, including ants. Takes also small amphibians and seeds.
Breeding season differs through range, seems to breed all year in DRC. The nest is a large and untidy cup, made of moss and dead leaves and placed in sapling, bush or oil palm, 3 - 4.5m above the ground. Lays 2 pale blue eggs. Brood parasitism by Levaillant's Cuckoo reported.
Resident species.¹

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, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2021. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2021. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Capuchin Babbler. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 3 June 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Capuchin_Babbler

External Links

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