Large Grey Babbler

The Large Grey Babbler (Turdoides malcolmi) is common throughout the Arunachala area. This bird habituates the Arunachala Samudra area as well as scrub, open forest and garden land throughout the Tiruvannamalai District. The Large Grey Babbler is usually seen in small groups and is easily distinguished from other babblers in the region by its nasal call.

This bird is pale grey-brown, with grey forehead. Its tail is long and graduated with white outer feathers which are very conspicuous in flight and when the tail is spread. It is one of the largest babblers in the region.

This species is found in small flocks which keep in contact with loud nasal calls. Its call, is loud and discordant, crying: kay, kay, kay, kay monotonously which is repeated by several individuals at the same time. Members of the flock may join in defending against predators. Individuals may also mob their own reflections.

This bird forages on or close to the ground, hopping and leaping in search of prey. It feeds mainly on insects but also feed on small lizards, molluscs and arachnids, and also feeds on seeds, grains and berries.

The Large Grey Babbler nesting season is irregular, but it believed to be more or less throughout the year. The usual clutch is four eggs. The nest is a shallow cup placed in a shrub often of thorny species. Their nests are parasitized by the Pied Cuckoo and the Common Hawk-Cuckoo.

Below is a video of a Large Grey Babbler feeding a Common Hawk-Cuckoo who she thinks is her offspring, but is a result of the nest being earlier parazitized by the Mother Common Hawk-Cuckoo. 

So Many Babblers!

They are many varieties of Babblers to clear up some confusion, I list some differences in two varieties of this bird species.

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Common Babbler

The Common Babbler is slim, earthy brown with upper plumage streaked darker. This bird can be easily identified from other Babblers because of its long, graduated, finely cross-rayed, loosely attached tail. It prefers dry open country and semi-desert with thorn scrub and shrubby vegetation. The Common Babbler feeds on the ground and scuttles along like a rat through thorn scrub and thickets, as it is loth to fly. It has a feeble flight which is comprised of a few rapid flaps, followed by a glide on outspread wings and tail.

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Yellow Eyed Babbler

The Yellow Eyed Babbler (of which there are three different varieties) is mostly a dweller of thorn scrub and grass jungle, commonly met in patches and separating cultivated fields. This bird be easily identified by the conspicuous orange-yellow ring around the eyes.