Fulvous Babbler - BirdForum Opus

Subspecies maroccana
Photo © by peterday
Edge of Sahara Desert, Morocco, 23 February, 2018

Alternative Name: Fulvous Chatterer

Argya fulva

Turdoides fulva

Identification

25 cm (9¾ in); A medium-sized, 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

The scientific name has been spelled Turdoides fulvus in the past.

This species is sometimes placed in genus Turdoides.

Subspecies

Four subspecies usually accepted^[1]:

• A. f. maroccana (billypayni):

• Southern Morocco, adjacent Algeria and south-western Libya

• A. f. fulva:

• Northern Algeria to Tunisia and north-western Libya

• A. f. buchanani:

• South-eastern Algeria and Mali to Niger and central Chad

• A. f. acaciae:

• Northern Chad and Sudan to northern Eritrea

Habitat

Desert scrub, thorny thickets, dry grassland with bushes, tree clumps in barren arid land, dry riverbeds.

Behaviour

Diet

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

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.

Movements

Resident species with some short-distance movement related to rains.

References

1. 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/
2. 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
3. Avibase

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Fulvous Babbler. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 28 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Fulvous_Babbler

External Links

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