The ground babblers are a family, Pellorneidae, of mostly Old Worldpasserinebirds belonging to the superfamily Sylvioidea.[1][2][3] They are quite diverse in size and coloration, and usually characterised by soft, fluffy plumage and a tail on average the length of their body, or longer. These birds are found in tropical zones, with the greatest biodiversity in Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent.
The family Pellorneidae was first introduced by the French-American ornithologist Jean Théodore Delacour in 1946.[4] Pellorneidae used to be one of four subfamilies of Timaliidae (tree- and scimitar-babblers), but was then elevated to its own family rank in 2011 based on molecular markers.[3][5]
Description
Jungle babblers are small to medium-sized birds which are on average 14cm long and weigh around 30g, but range from 10–26cm, and 12-36g [6]
Divided between being terrestrial and arboreal, Pellorneidae have strong legs. They usually have generalised bills, similar to those of a thrush or warbler, with the exception of the long-billed wren-babbler (Napothera malacoptila) and both species of scimitar babbler from the Jabouilleia genus which have long, curved bills. Most jungle babblers have predominantly brown plumage with little sexual dimorphism, but brightly coloured species of this family also exist.[7] Many jungle babblers have distinctive 'eyebrows' and 'caps' which may help to differentiate them from similarly-sized and coloured species.[6]
This group is not strongly migratory, and most species have short rounded wings, and weak flight. They live in lightly wooded, scrubland, or jungle environments, ranging from swamp to near-desert. They are primarily insectivorous, although many will also take berries, and the larger, omnivorous species will even eat small lizards and other vertebrates.[7]
Behaviour
Jungle babblers are generally non-migratory, social birds, defined by their lack of seasonal plumage and unspotted juvenile plumage.[8] These birds tend to be shy, but a few species are highly territorial and respond to playbacks of their vocalisations.[9] Breeding behaviour is not well known for all species of jungle babbler, but some birds, such as the Streaked wren-babbler (Napothera brevicaudata) have adapted to their habitat by nesting in holes or shallow cavities in the limestone cliffs and boulders of their region.[10] Others nest on the ground or in trees or shrubs. Care of nestlings by both parents is common, and cooperative breeding is prevalent among babblers [11]
Distribution and habitat
Pellorneidae are found throughout the tropics of Asia and Africa. Preferring sheltered places, these birds tend to stick to the undergrowth or forest edge.[8]
Taxonomy and systematics
Originally placed within Timaliidae as a subfamily, Pellorneidae was elevated into family status following a closer analysis of the superfamily Sylvioidea.[1] Sylvioidea was initially considered too complex to differentiate using morphology due to multiple instances of convergent evolution, and it wasn't until molecular analysis was conducted that the superfamily was recognised to be non-monophyletic - hence Pellorneidae being recognised as a family.[1] Pellorneidae is ia sister to a clade containing the families Leiothrichidae and Alcippeidae.[12]
Another taxonomy revision was the renaming of the rufous-vented grass babbler (Laticilla burnesii) and swamp grass babbler (Laticilla cinerascens) from Prinia (in the family Cisticolidae) to Laticilla.[13] Data sequencing using mitochondrial and nuclear markers revealed that P. burnesii and P. cinerascens belonged in a different family to the other members of Cisticolidae, with the results supported by Bayesian inference[13]
The cladogram below showing the phylogenetic relationships between the families is based on a study of the babblers by Tianlong Cai and colleagues published in 2019,[12] wirth species numbers from the IOC World Bird List[3]
The Old World warblers are a large group of birds formerly grouped together in the bird family Sylviidae. They are not closely related to the New World warblers. The family held over 400 species in over 70 genera, and were the source of much taxonomic confusion. Two families were split out initially, the cisticolas into Cisticolidae and the kinglets into Regulidae. In the past 20–30 years they have been the subject of much research and many species are now placed into other families, including the Acrocephalidae, Cettiidae, Phylloscopidae, and Megaluridae. In addition some species have been moved into existing families or have not yet had their placement fully resolved. Only a small number of warblers, in just two genera, are now retained in the family Sylviidae.
Prinia is a genus of small insectivorous birds belonging to the passerine bird family Cisticolidae. They were at one time classed in the Old World warbler family, Sylviidae.
Illadopsis is a genus of secretive forest birds in the family Pellorneidae. All are found in tropical Africa, where they frequent the lower strata of forests, and reveal themselves mostly by their whistled call notes. The genus contains the following species:
Malacocincla is a genus of passerine birds in the family Pellorneidae. The type species for this genus is M. abbotti, and a 2012 study shows that members of the genus Malacocincla as defined earlier fall into multiple clades and are therefore polyphyletic. M. abbotti and M. sepiaria remain within a common clade and could be retained in the genus if generic reassignments occur. This clade is a sister of the genus Napothera. M. cinereiceps and M. malaccensis fall into a different clade and are a sister to the genus Trichastoma and nested within several species of Pellorneum. The position of M. perspicillata has not been resolved.
The mourning babbler, previously the short-tailed babbler, is a species of bird in the ground babbler family Pellorneidae. It is found in the Malay Peninsula, Anambas Islands, Sumatra, Banyak Islands, Batu Islands, Riau Islands, Lingga Islands and the Natuna Islands. It was formerly considered to be conspecific with the glissando babbler and the leaflitter babbler.
Pellorneum is a genus of passerine birds in the family Pellorneidae. Some of its species were formerly placed in the genus Trichastoma.
Sylvioidea is a superfamily of passerine birds, one of at least three major clades within the Passerida along with the Muscicapoidea and Passeroidea. It contains about 1300 species including the Old World warblers, Old World babblers, swallows, larks and bulbuls. Members of the clade are found worldwide, but fewer species are present in the Americas.
Alcippe is a genus of passerine birds in the monotypic family Alcippeidae. The genus once included many other fulvettas and was previously placed in families Pellorneidae or Timaliidae.
Laticilla is a genus of small passerine birds in the family Pellorneidae. Members of the genus are found in Pakistan, Nepal, India and Bangladesh.
Turdinus is a genus of birds in the family Pellorneidae.
↑ Cibois, Alice; Gelang, Magnus; Alström, Per; Pasquet, Eric; Fjeldså, Jon; Ericson, Per G. P.; Olsson, Urban (2018-06-07). "Comprehensive phylogeny of the laughingthrushes and allies (Aves, Leiothrichidae) and a proposal for a revised taxonomy". Zoologica Scripta. 47 (4): 428–440. doi:10.1111/zsc.12296. ISSN0300-3256. S2CID51883434.
↑ Gustafsson, D.R.; Clayton, D.H.; Bush, S.E. (2018). "Twelve new species of Priceiella (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera: Philopteridae) from Old World babblers, with keys to species of two subgenera and checklists of species for the genus". Zootaxa. 4382 (3): 401–449. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4382.3.1.
1 2 Perrins, C. (1991). Forshaw, Joseph (ed.). Encyclopaedia of Animals: Birds. London: Merehurst Press. pp.188–190. ISBN978-1-85391-186-6.
1 2 Gelang, Magnus; Cibois, Alice; Pasquet, Eric; Olsson, Urban; Alström, Per; Ericson, Per G. P (May 2009). "Phylogeny of babblers (Aves, Passeriformes): major lineages, family limits and classification". Zoologica Scripta. 38 (3): 225–236. doi:10.1111/j.1463-6409.2008.00374.x. ISSN0300-3256. S2CID21691730.
↑ A., Lindsell, Jeremy (2001). Ranging behaviour and habitat selection in the scaly-breasted illadopsis. OCLC52066676.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
1 2 Olsson, Urban; Irestedt, Martin; Sangster, George; Ericson, Per G.P.; Alström, Per (2013). "Systematic revision of the avian family Cisticolidae based on a multi-locus phylogeny of all genera". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 66 (3): 790–799. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2012.11.004. ISSN1055-7903. PMID23159891.
↑ Olsson, U.; Irestedt, M.; Sangster, G.; Ericson, P.G.P.; Alström, P. (2013). "Systematic revision of the avian family Cisticolidae based on a multi-locus phylogeny of all genera". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 66 (3): 790–799. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2012.11.004. PMID23159891.
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