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White-rumped Babbler - BirdForum Opus

Revision as of 19:00, 22 September 2017 by Wintibird (talk | contribs) (range description, reference updated)
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Alternative names: Northern White-rumped Babbler; Abyssinian Babbler

Subspecies Limbata
Photo by michha62
Wondo Genet, Ethiopia, November 2008
Turdoides leucopygia

Identification

Subspecies leucopygia
Photo by Solomon
Outskirts of Asmara, Eritrea, November 2005

25 - 27cm (9¾-10¾ in). A medium-sized Turdoides-babbler with a rather variable plumage.

  • Cold grey-brown plumage
  • Scaly breast
  • White lower belly and white rump
  • Face and chin whitish
  • Red eye with yellow inner ring
  • Black bill
  • Slaty grey legs

Juveniles are duller with a brownish crown.

Distribution

Eastern Africa: found in Sudan, South Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia.

Frequent to common in most of its range.

Taxonomy

May form a superspecies with Hartlaub's Babbler, Black-faced Babbler and Sharpe's Babbler.
The scientific name has been spelled Turdoides leucopygius in the past.

Subspecies

Subspecies smithii
Photo by volker sthamer
Langano, Ethiopia, March 2016

Five subspecies usually accepted[1]:

Proposed clarkei usually merged with omoensis.

Habitat

Stony terrain in hilly areas with light woodland. Also thick scrub, dense second growth bordering evergreen forest, trees along rivers, scattered thickets, reedbeds and farmbush. Generally between 1250m and 2450m, lower in Eritrea.

Behaviour

Diet

No information about diet, probably mainly invertebrates, berries and seeds.
Usually seen in family parties of 6 - 8 birds. Forages largely on the ground, keeping inside cover.

Breeding

Compilation showing main differences between 4 of the subspecies
Photo by volker sthamer
Click on picture to enlarge

Breeding season August in Somalia, November to December and February to June in Ethiopia. The nest is a untidy large cup made of rootlets, grass, twigs and leaves. It's placed in a thick bush or in a tree fork. Lays 2 - 4 turquoise blue eggs.

Movements

Resident species.

References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. 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

Recommended Citation

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