| Arrow-marked babbler | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Two birds calling in Hwange, Zimbabwe | |
| Calls of the nominate subspecies | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Leiothrichidae |
| Genus: | Turdoides |
| Species: | T. jardineii |
| Binomial name | |
| Turdoides jardineii (Smith, 1836) | |
The arrow-marked babbler (Turdoides jardineii) is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It is native to woodlands in the southern Afrotropics.
It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Republic of the Congo, DRC, Eswatini, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest, dry savanna, and subtropical or tropical moist shrubland.
The arrow-marked babbler is a medium-sized babbler, 22 to 25 cm (8.7–9.8 in) in length and weighing 56 to 85 g (2.0–3.0 oz). The common name for the species is derived from its plumage, which is brownish-grey above and lighter below, with white tips to the feathers on the throat, neck and head. The outer iris is bright red and the inner bright yellow or orange. Males and females are identical in appearance. Juveniles have brown eyes and less arrow-shaped streaking on the breast.
The arrow-marked babbler lives in social groups of between 3 and 15 birds (six being the average) that defend large territories, with the size of the territory being dependent upon the number of individuals in the group. They feed on insects, spiders and sometimes snails and lizards, as well as fruits. Foraging occurs near the ground, sometimes in association with other babblers or bulbuls.
The Jacobin cuckoo, also pied cuckoo or pied crested cuckoo, is a member of the cuckoo order of birds that is found in Africa and Asia. It is partially migratory and in India, it has been considered a harbinger of the monsoon rains due to the timing of its arrival. It has been associated with a bird in Indian mythology and poetry, known as the chātaka represented as a bird with a beak on its head that waits for rains to quench its thirst.
The yellow-billed babbler is a member of the family Leiothrichidae endemic to southern India and Sri Lanka. The yellow-billed babbler is a common resident breeding bird in Sri Lanka and southern India. Its habitat is scrub, cultivation and garden land. This species, like most babblers, is not migratory, and has short rounded wings and a weak flight and is usually seen calling and foraging in groups. It is often mistaken for the jungle babbler, whose range overlaps in parts of southern India, although it has a distinctive call and tends to be found in more vegetated habitats. Its name is also confused with Turdoides leucocephala, which is also known as white-headed babbler.
Levaillant's cuckoo is a cuckoo which is a resident breeding species in Africa south of the Sahara. It is found in bushy habitats. It is a brood parasite, using the nests of bulbuls and babblers. It was named in honour of the French explorer, collector and ornithologist, François Le Vaillant.
Turdoides is a genus of passerine birds in the laughingthrush family Leiothrichidae. The species are distributed across Africa and southern Asia and are typically fairly large, long-tailed birds which forage in noisy groups. The majority of species have drab brown or grey-brown plumage. Several species that were included in Turdoides in the past have been reassigned to Argya following a 2018 study that found multiple clades.
The red-collared babbler, also known as the red-collared mountain-babbler, is a passerine bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The capuchin babbler is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae.
Retz's helmetshrike is a species of bird in the helmetshrike family Vangidae, formerly usually included in the Malaconotidae.
The scaly chatterer is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It is also known as the bare-eyed babbler. It is found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Tanzania. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.
The fulvous babbler or fulvous chatterer is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It is 25 cm long with a wingspan of 27–30.5 cm. It is warm brown above with very faint streaking on the crown and back. The throat is whitish and the rest of the underparts are pale brown.
The bare-cheeked babbler is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It is found in Angola and Namibia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.
Hinde's babbler, also known as Hinde's pied-babbler, is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It is endemic to Kenya. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist shrubland, arable land, and plantations. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The northern pied babbler is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It is found in Kenya and Tanzania. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.
The white-headed babbler or Cretzschmar's babbler is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It is found in Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Sudan. Its natural habitats are dry savanna and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. Its name is sometimes confused with the yellow-billed babbler, which is alternatively called the white-headed babbler.
The black-faced babbler is a species of songbird in the family Leiothrichidae. It was once it was considered conspecific with the black-lored babbler, A. sharpei.
The brown babbler is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It is predominantly found in West Africa, but ranging from the Gambia to Kenya. The species is common across its range. The species is also known as the Sudan babbler.
The rufous chatterer is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It is found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Its natural habitats are dry savanna and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.
The black-lored babbler or Sharpe's pied-babbler is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It is found in southwestern Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, and the part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo immediately adjacent to the three last-named countries. This bird was formerly considered the same species as Turdoides melanops of southern Africa, now known as the black-faced babbler.
The scaly babbler is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It is found in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.
The dusky babbler is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It is found in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Uganda. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist shrubland.
The magpie shrike, also known as the African long-tailed shrike, is a species of bird in the family Laniidae. It is native to the grasslands of eastern and southeastern Africa, where its natural habitats are dry savannah, moist savannah, and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. It has a very wide range and is common in places, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".
