Grey-crowned babbler

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Grey-crowned babbler
Grey-crowned babbler08.JPG
ssp. temporalis
Grey-crowned Babbler0A2A1375.jpg
ssp. rubeculus
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Pomatostomidae
Genus: Pomatostomus
Species:
P. temporalis
Binomial name
Pomatostomus temporalis
(Vigors & Horsfield, 1827)
Small flock of grey-crowned babblers (P. t. temporalis), New South Wales Grey-crowned Babblers 1605.jpg
Small flock of grey-crowned babblers (P. t. temporalis), New South Wales

The grey-crowned babbler (Pomatostomus temporalis) is a species of bird in the family Pomatostomidae. They are found in Australia and New Guinea (Indonesia and Papua New Guinea). Its habitats include tropical and subtropical dry broadlife forests, tropical moist lowland forests, shrublands, and savannas. [1]

Contents

Taxonomy

Two subspecies are recognized within Australia [2] [3] and New Guinea. [3]

Pomatostomus temporalis temporalis – This subspecies occurs within Australia in the states of Victoria, eastern Queensland (including Cape York), New South Wales and south-eastern South Australia. [2] [3] It is a vagrant or accidental visitor to the Australian Capital Territory. [2] It is also the subspecies believed to occur within New Guinea. [3]

Pomoatostomus temporalis rubeculus – This subspecies occurs in Australia within the states of Western Australia, Northern Territory, western Queensland and a small area of northern South Australia. [2] [3]

The breast color is usually used as the distinguishing morphological character between the subspecies, with a creamy white breast grading to mid-grey in P. t. temporalis and a mid-to deep-rufous brown breast in P. t. rubeculus. [3] Other differences relate to brow coloration, facial bands through the eye, tail length, and overall size. [3] A zone of intergradation occurs between the two subspecies in north-central Queensland. [3]

Naming

A number of alternate names have been provided for the grey-crowned babbler.

Conservation status

Australia

There are numerous lists of threatened fauna from within Australia. The official list of threatened species on the Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 does not consider the grey-crowned babbler (either as a species or subspecies) to be threatened.

From other sources, the national status of the grey-crowned babbler varies. The eastern subspecies is increasingly being considered threatened, although not by all:

Grey-crowned babbler at Katherine, Northern Territory Grey-crowned Babbler 3488.jpg
Grey-crowned babbler at Katherine, Northern Territory

States of Australia

The conservation status of the grey-crowned babbler varies from state to state within Australia. For example:

Threats

The key process that has led to the decline of the eastern subspecies of the grey-crowned babbler has been the historic loss and fragmentation of its preferred woodland habitat. [5] Grey-crowned babblers generally have a poor ability to migrate across unsuitable habitats. As a consequence of fragmentation, breeding success and group size decline. Babbler groups are more susceptible to stochastic events leading to local extinction. Once a fragment has lost its population of grey-crowned babblers, natural recolonisation rarely occurs because of the species' poor dispersal ability. [5]

Rush Creek, SE Queensland

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References

  1. 1 2 BirdLife International (2016). "Pomatostomus temporalis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T22704983A93993745. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22704983A93993745.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Clayton, M.; Wombey, J. C.; Mason, I. J.; Chesser, R. T. & Wells, A. (2006). CSIRO List of Australian Vertebrates: A reference with conservation status. 2nd Edition. Collingwood, Victoria: CSIRO Publishing. p. 162. ISBN   0-643-09075-4.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Schodde, R. & Mason, I. J. (1999). The Directory of Australian Birds: Passerines. Collingwood, Victoria: CSIRO Publishing. p. 851. ISBN   0-643-06456-7.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 MacDonald, J. D. (1987). The Illustrated Dictionary of Australian Birds by Common Name. French's Forest, NSW: Reed Books. p. 207. ISBN   0-7301-0184-3.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Garnett, S. T.; Crowley, G. M. (2000). The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2000. Canberra, ACT: Environment Australia. p. 673. ISBN   0-642-54683-5.
  6. List of threatened species on the FFG Act, Department of Sustainability and Environment, Victoria Archived 2005-07-18 at the Wayback Machine
  7. List of prepared Action Statements, Department of Sustainability and Environment, State of Victoria Archived 2006-09-11 at the Wayback Machine
  8. Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment (2007). Advisory List of Threatened Vertebrate Fauna in Victoria – 2007. East Melbourne, Victoria: Department of Sustainability and Environment. p. 15. ISBN   978-1-74208-039-0.
  9. "Grey-crowned Babbler Species Profile, Department of Conservation and Environment, State of NSW". Archived from the original on 2007-09-06. Retrieved 2007-10-20.
  10. Fauna on Schedule 9 of National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972, State of South Australia
  11. Listing of threatened species and communities, Department of Environment and Conservation, State of Western Australia
  12. "Threatened plants and Animals, Parks and Wildlife Service, State of Queensland". Archived from the original on 2007-10-29. Retrieved 2007-10-27.