Difference between revisions of "Large Grey Babbler" - BirdForum Opus

Latest revision as of 15:56, 4 December 2022

Plumage and color in breeding season
Photo © by Alok Tewari
Mangar Bani Forest, Faridabad-Gurgaon Road, Haryana, India, June-2018

Argya malcolmi

Turdoides malcolmi

Identification

27–28 cm (10½-11 in); A quite large Turdoides babbler:

White outer tail feathers on a long tail
Black lores offsetting silvery forehead
Pale eyes
Dusky blotches on mantle
Pale greyish rump and uppertail-coverts

Similar species

Plumage and color in winter
Photo © by Rajiv Lather
Karnal, India, January 2006

May be confused with Jungle Babbler, but note black lores and silvery forehead. Common Babbler has a dark eye and streaks above.

Distribution

Endemic to the Indian Subcontinent: northeast Pakistan, extreme southwest Nepal and much of India except the east.

Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species^[1].

This species is sometimes placed in genus Turdoides.

Habitat

Open scrub country, cultivation, fallow land, open plantations, gardens, village environs.

Behaviour

The species is found in small flocks (usually around 10 birds) which keep in contact with loud nasal calls. Associates with Jungle Babbler.

A pair Allopreening in post-sunset twilight
Photo © by Alok Tewari
Keoladeo National Park, India, June-2017

Diet

Feeds on insects but may also take grain, seeds and berries.

Breeding

Breeds all year. Co-operative breeder. The nest is a neat cup, usually built with one or two helpers and made of grass, twigs and roots. It's placed in a bush or a small tree, about 1.2 to 3 meters above the ground. Lays 3 - 8 eggs. This species is parasitized by the Pied Cuckoo.

Vocalisation

Recording by Alok Tewari
Keoladeo National Park, India, June-2017
Individuals of a group calling and moving through trees and bushes at Sunset, engaged in end of the day foraging. Call of Indian Peafowl is heard in the BG, once. There is one very brief call by Rose-ringed Parakeet towards end.

References

Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
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
Rasmussen, PC and JC Anderton. 2005. Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8487334672

List of references

Recommended Citation

BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Large Grey Babbler. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 6 June 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Large_Grey_Babbler

External Links

Search for photos of Large Grey Babbler in the gallery

GSearch checked for 2020 platform.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-;Turdoides malcolmi
+[[Image:large_grey_babbler_2_alok.JPG|thumb|550px|right|Plumage and color in breeding season<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|aloktewari|Alok Tewari}} <br />Mangar Bani Forest, Faridabad-Gurgaon Road, Haryana, [[India]], June-2018]]
-[[Image:Large_Grey_Babbler.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Photo by Rajiv Lather]]
+;[[:Category:Argya|Argya]] malcolmi
+''Turdoides malcolmi''
 ==Identification==
-Photo taken: Karnal, India
+–28 cm (10½-11 in); A quite large ''Turdoides'' babbler:
+* White outer tail feathers on a long tail
+* Black [[Topography#Heads|lores]]  offsetting silvery forehead
+* Pale eyes
+* Dusky blotches on mantle
+* Pale greyish rump and uppertail-[[Topography#General Anatomy|coverts]]
+====Similar species====
+[[Image:Large_Grey_Babbler.jpg|thumb|400px|right|Plumage and color in winter<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|Rajiv+Lather|Rajiv Lather}} <br />Karnal, [[India]], January 2006]]
-The Large Grey Babbler, Turdoides malcolmi, is an Old World babbler found in South Asia. The scientific name commemorates Major-General Sir John Malcolm, who collected the specimen described by Sykes.
+May be confused with [[Jungle Babbler]], but note black lores and silvery forehead. [[Common Babbler]] has a dark eye and streaks above.
+==Distribution==
+Endemic to the Indian Subcontinent: northeast [[Pakistan]], extreme southwest [[Nepal]] and much of [[India]] except the east.
-The species is locally common and is found in small vociferous groups. They are easily identified both by their appearance and call. They have distintive white outer tail feathers on a long tail. They are also among the largest babblers in the region.
+==Taxonomy==
+This is a [[Dictionary_M-S#M|monotypic]] species<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>.<br />
-The species is found in small flocks which keep in contact with loud nasal calls. They are mostly seen in open scrub country. They breed throughout the year. They have adapted to life in some cities such as Pune and Ahmedabad. In other cities such as Bangalore, they are seen only on the outskirts of the expanding urban zone.
+This species is sometimes placed in genus [[:Category:Turdoides|Turdoides]].
+==Habitat==
-Their nests are parasitized by the Pied Crested Cuckoo (Clamator jacobinus)
+Open scrub country, cultivation, fallow land, open plantations, gardens, village environs.
-Found throughout the Indian Subcontinent, south of the Himalayas, west until Lahore and east to Bihar.
+==Behaviour==
+The species is found in small flocks (usually around 10 birds) which keep in contact with loud nasal calls. Associates with [[Jungle Babbler]].
+[[Image:large_grey_babbler_alok.JPG|thumb|400px|right|A pair Allopreening in post-sunset twilight<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|aloktewari|Alok Tewari}} <br />[[Keoladeo National Park]], [[India]], June-2017]]
+====Diet====
+Feeds on insects but may also take grain, seeds and berries.
+====Breeding====
+Breeds all year. Co-operative breeder. The nest is a neat cup, usually built with one or two helpers and made of grass, twigs and roots. It's placed in a bush or a small tree, about 1.2 to 3 meters above the ground. Lays 3 - 8 eggs.
+This species is parasitized by the [[Pied Cuckoo]].
+====Vocalisation====
+{{ Audio|large_grey_babbler_call_alok.mp3 }}
+Recording by {{user|aloktewari|Alok Tewari}}<br />
+[[Keoladeo National Park]], [[India]], June-2017<br />
+Individuals of a group calling and moving through trees and bushes at Sunset, engaged in end of the day foraging. Call of [[Indian Peafowl]] is heard in the BG, once. There is one very brief call by [[Rose-ringed Parakeet]] towards end.
+==References==
+#{{Ref-Clements6thAug18}}#{{Ref-HBWVol12}}#{{Ref-RasmussenAnderton05}}
+{{ref}}
 ==External Links==
+{{GSearch|"Argya malcolmi" {{!}} "Turdoides malcolmi" {{!}} "Large Grey Babbler"}}
+{{GS-checked}}
+<br />
+<br />
-[[Category:Birds]]
+[[Category:Birds]] [[Category:Argya]] [[Category:Bird Songs]]