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19

Arabian Babbler (Turdoides squamiceps) Alternate name(s): "Brown Babbler" Size: 26-29 cm; wing span 31-33.5 cm Weight: 64-83 g

Oman: Family Group 19 Family Group 19 Table Rufous Bush Robin Black Redstart Common Redstart Blue Rock Thrush Red-tailed Wheatear Isabelline Wheatear Desert Wheatear White-crowned Wheatear Hume's Wheatear Arabian Babbler Thumbnails page Classification table Index of bird names Birds home page

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Arabian Babblers are magpie-sized birds. They have a generally brownish-grey, vermiculated plumage all over the body. Only the ear coverts, wings and tail show no sign of vermiculation. The back and in particularly the wings are darker grey than the rest of the body. Birds in the South (Yemen) have a paler grey facial mask. The irises are brown. The long, slightly downcurved bill is dark-grey, with a lighter, more horn-coloured underside of the lower mandible. Also the legs and feet are brownish-grey.

Taxonomy, classification See Arabian Babbler at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Arabian Babbler is available HERE . Arabian Babblers are resident in an area ranging from parts of Israel, Jordan and the Sinai peninsula in the West south-eastwards into Arabia. On the peninsula they are found mainly along the western near-coastal fringe of Saudi Arabia, but also in the central part of the country, and further around the near-coastal fringe through Yemen and into Oman, up to Musandam in the North. Their distribution inland is relatively wide, spanning about the entire breadth of Oman. We have seen Arabian Babblers on the near-coastal northern fringe of Oman. Arabian Babblers have a preference for stony country with few shrubs. They are often found in acacia-dominated dry creek beds (wadis) in otherwise arid landscapes.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Arabian Babblers were first spotted by us on the Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, in December 2009 and then repeatedly until March 2010.

Photos

ADULT

Sex unknown

Close-up near-lateral/ventral view of an Arabian Babbler preening in an acacia shrub
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, March 2010]

Lateral view of an Arabian Babbler
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, March 2010]

Lateral view of an Arabian Babbler in shady conditions
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, March 2010]

Dorsal view of an Arabian Babbler foraging on the ground
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, March 2010]

Dorsal view of an Arabian Babbler foraging on the ground, now with its head turned
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, March 2010]

Family of Arabian Babblers in an acacia shrub
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, December 2009]

When alarmed, the Arabian Babbler sentry's tail is raised
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, December 2009]

Behaviour

Several of the typical patterns of behaviour of babblers were observed by us, such as the tail being raised when excited or the "follow my leader" way of moving from one point to another in low flight. There is usually at least one sentry high up in an acacia while the others in the family forage on the ground nearby.

On the other hand, occasionally single birds were observed by us, which clearly had no sentry available while foraging on the ground. In such cases good camouflage helps (see below).

Arabian Babbler foraging under an acacia tree; can you find the bird?
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, May 2010]

Additional information

On a separate page we have lined up a series of shots of an Arabian Babbler trying to open a seedpod.

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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Disclaimer: Comments are always welcome. We give no guarantee that the information presented on these pages is always correct or up-to-date. External links are marked as such and we take no responsibility for the contents of external pages. All images on this site are protected by copyright & used by permission of the respective owners. If you wish to reproduce them or any of the material presented on this web site, please contact us: We hereby acknowledge the original custodians of the land which is described on these pages, including the Gomeroi/Gamilaraay people of the North-west Slopes and Plains of NSW, and the traditional owners of other lands and nations within this country. We acknowledge elders past, present and emerging. Sovereignty was never ceded.          Last updated: Fri, 26 May 2023, 12:48 +00:00