19 |
![]() |
Grey-crowned BabblerAlternate name(s): "Grey-crowned Chatterer", "Temporal Babbler", "Rufous-breasted Chatterer", "Happy Family*", "Chatterer*", "Cackler*", "Barker", "Pine-bird", "Dog-bird", "Hopper", "Codlin-moth-eater", "Jumper", "Yahoo", "Parson-bird"; misnomers: "Apostlebird*", "12 Apostles*", "Catbird*" ![]() Note: Includes former "Red-breasted Babbler" Size: 26-29 cm Weight: 60-85 g |
![]() |
Similar |
![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() |
|
||||||
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Photos |
Race "temporalis"
![]() |
ADULT |
Sex unknown |
Frontal view of an adult Grey-crowned Babbler; note the greyish irises
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2021]
Frontal view of a Grey-crowned Babbler
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2012]
Frontal view of a Grey-crowned Babbler, different posture
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2012]
Frontal view of a Grey-crowned Babbler
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bowra Station, near Cunnamulla, QLD, August 2018]
Frontal view of a Grey-crowned Babbler preening the underside
of its wing
(photo courtesy of R. Russell)
[Mount Molloy, QLD, July 2011]
Close-up near-frontal view of a Grey-crowned Babbler, still wet
from having a bath
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2022]
Near-frontal view of a Grey-crowned Babbler monitoring the sky for
predators
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2012]
Near-frontal view of a Grey-crowned Babbler
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2022]
Near-lateral view of a Grey-crowned Babbler foraging on the ground
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Blackbutt, QLD, July 2020]
Lateral view of a Grey-crowned Babbler
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bowra Station, near Cunnamulla, QLD, August 2018]
Lateral view of a Grey-crowned Babbler foraging on the ground
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Eulah Creek, NSW, July 2018]
Lateral view of a Grey-crowned Babbler
[Narrabri, NSW, November 2010]
Near-dorsal view of a Grey-crowned Babbler that is drying its
plumage after
having a bath
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, July 2017]
Dorsal view of a Grey-crowned Babbler
[Narrabri, NSW, November 2010]
Grey-crowned Babbler preening, seen against evening sunlight
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, August 2006]
Family of Grey-crowned Babblers taking a bath (photo courtesy of
R. Druce)
Direct comparison of the size of a Grey-crowned Babbler with
a Willie Wagtail
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2016]
![]() |
IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Close-up near-frontal view of a juvenile Grey-crowned Babbler;
note the dark iris
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2021]
Near-frontal view of a juvenile Grey-crowned Babbler
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bowra Station, near Cunnamulla, QLD, September 2017]
Near-frontal view of a Grey-crowned Babbler
[Narrabri, NSW, November 2010]
Near-lateral view of a Grey-crowned Babbler
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bowra Station, near Cunnamulla, QLD, September 2017]
Close-up near-lateral view of a juvenile Grey-crowned Babbler;
note the dark iris
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2021]
Close-up lateral view of a juvenile Grey-crowned Babbler
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2021]
Close-up lateral view of a juvenile Grey-crowned Babbler
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2021]
Grey-crowned Babblers are gregarious and inquisitive birds
(photo courtesy of R. Druce)
Grey-crowned Babblers are gregarious and inquisitive birds
(photo courtesy of R. Druce)
This Grey-crowned Babblers is fanning its tail, displaying the
conspicuous white terminal band (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
Fledgling Grey-crowned Babbler, hardly able to fly and still stumbling
along the branches of the tree in which it is hiding, while its parents
go mad about the photographer in the vicinity
[Near Narrabri, NSW, October 2006]
Slightly different posture of the same fledgling Grey-crowned Babbler
[Near Narrabri, NSW, October 2006]
Race "rubeculus"
![]() |
ADULT |
Sex unknown |
Near-frontal view of a Grey-crowned Babbler
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Barkley Highway, 50 km NW of Mount Isa, QLD, June 2021]
Near-frontal view of a Grey-crowned Babbler
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Katherine, NT, July 2020]
Lateral view of a Grey-crowned Babbler - note the reddish
tint on the bird's breast giving this race its name; this is one
of the birds whose
calls were recorded on 6 August 2016 (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Boolardy Station, Murchison, WA, August 2016]
![]() |
IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Lateral view of an adult Grey-crowned Babbler, left, with a juvenile;
note the dark iris of the juvenile
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Boolardy Station, Murchison, WA, August 2016]
Near-lateral view of a juvenile Grey-crowned Babbler
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Adelaide River, NT, April 2018]
Lateral view of a juvenile Grey-crowned Babbler
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Adelaide River, NT, April 2018]
Lateral view of a juvenile Grey-crowned Babbler
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Keep River NP, NT, November 2018]
![]() |
Breeding information |
Breeding season: Jul - Feb | Eggs: 2 - 3 | Incubation period: 17 - 25 days | Fledging age: 19 - 22 days |
![]() |
Nest |
"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal] |
Type: Dome | Material: Sticks, with grass and/or feather lining | Height above ground: 4 - 7 m |
Grey-crowned Babblers sometimes nest in the lower part of a larger bird's nest (e.g. a corvid's or a raptor's). They are known to be communal breeders.
Family clan of Grey-crowned Babblers working on their nest
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Palmerston Golf Course, Palmerston, NT, January 2020]
All kinds of material are brought in, from lining material
and twigs... (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Palmerston Golf Course, Palmerston, NT, January 2020]
... to substantial sticks (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Palmerston Golf Course, Palmerston, NT, January 2020]
Grey-crowned Babblers' nest (photo courtesy of C. Hayne)
Double-storied Grey-crowned Babblers' nest in unusual surroundings,
namely in a plane tree in a
garden;
the location of this nest was kindly reported to us by J. Faris
[Narrabri, NSW, March 2009]
Unusual Grey-crowned Babblers' nest, in an almost horizontal branch of an
eucalypt tree
above a dirt road
[Near Kenebri, NSW, January 2016]
Clan of Grey-crowned Babblers building a nest (photo courtesy
of R. Russell)
[Mount Molloy, QLD, December 2011]
Grey-crowned Babbler adding one more stick to its nest... HERE!
(photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Adel's Grove, Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, July 2016]
Grey-crowned Babbler collecting nesting material
(photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Adel's Grove, Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, July 2016]
Grey-crowned Babbler peeking out of its nest (photo courtesy
of R. Russell)
[Mount Molloy, QLD, January 2011]
This Grey-crowned Babbler nest was pinched by a pair of Blue-faced Honeyeaters (photo courtesy
of R. Russell)
[Mount Molloy, QLD, June 2008]
Blue-faced Honeyeaters occasionally pinch the nests of
Grey-crowned Babblers;
here the builder of the nest is looking on helplessly as
the competition moves in uninvited
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, July 2017]
![]() |
Eggs |
"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay] |
Size: 22 x 16 mm | Colour: Light-brown with strong colour pattern | Shape: Tapered oval |
![]() |
Behaviour |
Social behaviour: Territorial | Mobility: Sedentary | Elementary unit: Family clan |
Courtship display of a pair of Grey-crowned Babblers
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Katherine, NT, July 2020]
Courtship display of a pair of Grey-crowned Babblers
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Katherine, NT, July 2020]
Grey-crowned Babblers are gregarious birds that are almost always on the move and busy with something. Quite often they are seen by us together with a mob of Apostlebirds.
Grey-crowned Babbler TLC;
allo-preening is one type of
bonding ritual
[Pilliga Bore Bath, near Pilliga, NSW, November 2017]
"Stereo" Grey-crowned Babbler
TLC
(photo courtesy of R. Russell)
[Mount Molloy, QLD, May 2013]
This family clan of Grey-crowned Babblers is huddling to protect
themselves against harassment by a mob of do-no-good
Noisy Miners;
we also recorded their calls (below)
[30 km N of Coonabarabran, NSW, August 2022]
grcrbab_20220807.m4a |
temporalis (NW NSW) |
Family clan under attack by Noisy Miners | © MD |
Many family units are happy to live in very little dense vegetation by roadsides, often with only one sufficiently large tree to provide them with shelter. In late October 2005 we spotted six separate groups in the area of Yarrie Lake and Bohena, West to South-West of Narrabri, along roadsides over a distance of only 20 km.
Grey-crowned Babblers preening after a bath
[Warrumbungle NP,
NSW, January 2021]
Grey-crowned Babbler taking a bath (photo courtesy of R. Russell)
[Mt. Molloy, QLD]
![]() |
Food, Diet |
Like all other babblers of the Pomatostomus family, Grey-crowned Babblers hunt for insects and their larvae in trees and on the ground.
Frontal view of a Grey-crowned Babbler with its prey
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2022]
Lateral view of a Grey-crowned Babbler that has caught a bush cockroach
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2012]
This Grey-crowned Babbler is prying a spider out of its hideaway
under the remnant bark of a dead branch
[Pilliga Bore Bath, near Pilliga, NSW, November 2017]
Clan of Grey-crowned Babblers giving a tree trunk a good working
over in search of food (photo courtesy of R. Russell)
[Mount Molloy, QLD, November 2010]
Grey-crowned Babbler pecking to death a large caterpillar
[Warrumbungle NP,
NSW, January 2021]
Grey-crowned Babbler whacking to death a large caterpillar
by rotating its head
[Warrumbungle NP,
NSW, January 2021]
One animal's refuse, another's treasure...: Grey-crowned Babbler
digging up a cow pad (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lake Clarendon, Gatton, QLD, November 2019]
Close-up lateral view of a Grey-crowned Babbler taking an insect
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Gardens, Alice Springs, NT, October 2022]
Lateral view of a Grey-crowned Babbler taking an insect from the bark
of a tree
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Gardens, Alice Springs, NT, October 2022]
Grey-crowned Babbler taking water from a bird bath
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2014]
![]() |
Call(s)/Song |
For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The
interpretation of their meaning is our own;
comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.
grcrbab_20210127.m4a |
temporalis (NW NSW) |
Various (family clan foraging) | © MD | |
grcrbab_20200815.m4a |
temporalis (NW NSW) |
Various (long sequence) | © MD | |
grcrbab_20180502_3.m4a |
temporalis (NW NSW) |
Warning calls (Collared Sparrowhawk) | © MD | |
grcrbab_20210502.m4a |
temporalis (NW NSW) |
Warning calls (human) | © MD | |
grcrbab_20201219.m4a |
temporalis (NW NSW) |
Warning calls clan (humans near nest) | © MD | |
grcrbab_20180502.m4a |
temporalis (NW NSW) |
Alarm calls (Collared Sparrowhawk) | © MD | |
grcrbab_20210429.m4a |
temporalis (NW NSW) |
? (foraging) | © MD | |
grcrbab_20230104.mp3 |
temporalis (NW NSW) |
? | © MD | |
grcrbab_jg_20160806.m4a |
rubeculus (Central WA) |
Contact calls? | © JG | |
grcrbab_pb_20181118.m4a |
rubeculus (Inland NT) |
? (Great Bowerbird in bkgd) | © PB |
More Grey-crowned Babbler sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.