19

Grey-crowned Babbler

(Pomatostomus temporalis)
: "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"

Aboriginal name(s): "wirrbing"; Race "temporalis": "dhadhalurraa" [yuwaalaraay]
Note: Includes former "Red-breasted Babbler"
Size: 26-29 cm
Weight: 60-85 g

Similar species

Description

Classification

Distribution

Sightings

Photos

Breeding

Nest

Eggs

Behaviour

Food

Call/s

Physical description

Click here for physical description of this species Click here for a physical description

Grey-crowned Babblers are the largest of the Australian babblers. Their crown is grey, with a slightly darker central stripe compared to the sides. The front, from throat to chest, is also grey, while the belly and vent are greyish-brown. The sides and back are also greyish-brown. The eyes are surrounded by a wide, dark-brown eye stripe that connects with the greyish-brown sides and flanks. The wings are also greyish-brown, with flight feathers that are darker than the rest of the body plumage. The long, wide tail is dark-grey, with a white terminal band. Race "rubeculus" is darker than race "temporalis" and also within the populations of race "temporalis" there may be a trend of darkening colours from East to West. The eyes have pale-yellow irises. The long, slightly down-curved bill is black. The legs and feet are dark-grey. Juveniles have a more rufous tint in those body parts that are grey in adults.

Twitcher's tip

Grey-crowned Babblers are the only Australian babblers with a light-coloured crown. They are also the only Australian babblers that do not have black eyes.

Taxonomy, classification

See Grey-crowned Babbler at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

The overall distribution of this species can be assessed based on sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org .

The global distribution of the Grey-crowned Babbler is available HERE .

Grey-crowned Babblers are found in Australia and in southern New Guinea.

Of the two races of Grey-crowned Babblers, nominate race "temporalis" is found in QLD and NSW eastward of a line connecting the southern tip of the Gulf of Carpentaria with Bourke, NSW. They also live in the hill ranges of VIC, but not along the southern coastal fringe in VIC and NSW, up to the Hunter River valley. They are also not found on the coastal fringe around Townsville, QLD. Race "rubeculus", which is endemic to Australia, is found to the West of the tip of the Gulf of Carpentaria, roughly North of the tropic of Capricorn into the eastern NT. They also populate the entire Top End of the NT and the Kimberley in WA, plus an area around Alice Springs. Their range includes a large area of western WA, along the Gascoyne to Fitzroy Rivers and farther inland from there, to halfway to the NT border.

Grey-crowned Babblers can be found in relatively dry forest and more open woodland, often also under (even single) trees with dense shrubs around/under them, including roadside vegetation.

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Race "temporalis"

Grey-crowned Babblers, race "temporalis", are the most common species of babbler in our area, in the North-West Slopes and Plains of NSW. They are usually found in family clans of 10-12 birds, often in roadside vegetation.

Grey-crowned Babblers, race "temporalis", are seen by us regularly, but infrequently in various locations around Narrabri, e.g. 20 km South of Narrabri, Leard State Forest and also at Eulah Creek, 20 km East of Narrabri.

They are often found by us in roadside vegetation, mostly along relatively quiet country roads.

Although listed as vulnerable, we have found Grey-crowned Babblers, race "temporalis", in many different locations in inland NSW.

M. Mearns reports spotting Grey-crowned Babblers, race "temporalis", at Bunya Mountains NP, QLD, in December 2015.

M. Eaton reports spotting Grey-crowned Babblers, race "temporalis", at Gatton, QLD, in July 2017, and at Bowra Station, near Cunnamulla, QLD, in September 2017.

R. Russell reports finding Grey-crowned Babblers, race "temporalis", regularly at Mount Molloy, QLD.

Click here for sighting information Race "rubeculus"

A Grey-crowned Babbler, race "rubeculus", was heard by us calling at Pine Creek, NT, in August 2014.

J. Greaves reports spotting Grey-crowned Babblers, race "rubeculus", at Boolardy Station, Murchison, WA, in August 2016.

P. Brown reports finding Grey-crowned Babblers, race "rubeculus", at Adelaide River, NT, in April 2018, and at Keep River NP, NT, in November 2018.

Photos

Race "temporalis"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of an adult 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]

Grey-crowned Babbler preening the underside of its wing (photo courtesy of R. Russell)
[Mount Molloy, QLD, July 2011]

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 (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]

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]

Here a Grey-crowned Babbler seen foraging on the ground
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2011]

Whatever the Grey-crowned Babbler wanted, it had to dig it out of the soil
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2011]

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)

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)

Direct comparison of the size of a Grey-crowned Babbler with a Willie Wagtail
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2016]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Frontal view of a juvenile Grey-crowned Babbler preening (photo courtesy of R. Druce)

Lateral view of a juvenile Grey-crowned Babbler
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, September 2008]

Lateral view of the same Grey-crowned Babbler as shown above
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, September 2008]

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

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]

Lateral view of a Grey-crowned Babbler (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Keep River NP, NT, November 2018]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral view of Grey-crowned Babblers; note the dark iris of the bird on the right, indicating that it is a 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]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Jul - Feb Eggs: 2 - 3 Incubation period: 17 - 25 days Fledging age: 19 - 22 days

Nest
"bungobittah", "malunna" = 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", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena" = 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

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
[Pilliga Bore Bath, near Pilliga, NSW, November 2017]

"Stereo" Grey-crowned Babbler TLC (photo courtesy of R. Russell)
[Mount Molloy, QLD, May 2013]

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 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.

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]

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]

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_20180217.m4a	temporalis (NW NSW)	Various (family clan foraging)	© MD
grcrbab_20180502_3.m4a	temporalis (NW NSW)	Warning calls (Collared Sparrowhawk)	© MD
grcrbab_20180502.m4a	temporalis (NW NSW)	Alarm calls (Collared Sparrowhawk)	© MD
grcrbab_20150429.mp3	temporalis (NW NSW)	Clan bonding?	© MD

grcrbab_jg_20160806.m4a	rubeculus (Central WA)	Contact calls?	© JG
grcrbab_pb_20181118.m4a	rubeculus (Inland NT)	? (Great Bowerbird in bkgd)	© PB

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