Disambiguation: For the species Turdoides sharpei, see Black-lored Babbler
Alternative name: Black-lored Babbler (!)
- Turdoides melanops
Identification
25cm. A medium-sized Turdoides-babbler
- Dull grey brown plumage
- Grey-flecked crown
- Pale yellow or white eye
- Lightly scaled breast
- Black tail
- Black lores
Similar to Black-lored Babbler, but ranges don't overlap.
Distribution
Africa: Found mainly in northern Namibia and southern Angola. Locally also in Botswana and Zimbabwe. Uncommon to locally common.
Taxonomy
Two or three subspecies are usually accepted:
- T. m. melanops in souther Angola and northern Namibia
- T. m. querula in southeast Angola, northwest Botswana, northeast Namibia (Caprivi) and locally to extreme western Zimbabwe
- T. m. angolensis in southwest Angola (not accepted by Clements)
Black-faced Babbler and Black-lored Babbler were previously together in one species, the Black-lored Babbler which also had the scientific name Turdoides melanops.
This species was also thought to be conspecific with Dusky Babbler and Reinwardt's Babbler and may form a superspecies with them.
Habitat
Thickets in acacia woodland, corkwood savanna or purple-pod woodland.
Behaviour
Resident species.
Diet
The diet includes insects, reptiles and fruit.
Forages on ground or low in grass, usually in groups of 5 to 7 birds, sometimes more.
Breeding
Breeding season from October to December and in March in Namibia, from November to January in Angola. Up to four helpers noticed at a nest. The nest is a rough bowl, made of grass and placed in large shrub or low in a tree. Lays 2 - 3 eggs.
References
- Avibase
- 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
- 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) Black-faced Babbler. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 28 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Black-faced_Babbler
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
