Gray-crowned Babbler
Pomatostomus temporalis
Large, conspicuous songbird with long decurved bill, dark gray mask, pale gray crown, and whitish eye. Underparts variably reddish brown, with white throat and upper breast. Juvenile similar but eye dark. Forages in small groups actively, almost comically, through open woodlands, including agricultural areas with some remaining native vegetation.
Taxonomy
Two subspecies are recognised within Australia and New Guinea.<p>Pomatostomus temporalis temporalis – This subspecies occurs within Australia in the states of Victoria, eastern Queensland (including Cape York), New South Wales and south-eastern South Australia. It is a vagrant or accidental visitor to the Australian Capital Territory. It is also the subspecies believed to occur within New Guinea.<p>Pomoatostomus temporalis rubeculus – This subspecies occurs in Australia within the states of Western Australia, Northern Territory, western Queensland and a small area of northern South Australia.<p>The breast color is usually used as the distinguishing morphological character between the subspecies, with a creamy white breast grading to mid-grey in P. t. temporalis and a mid to deep rufous brown breast in P. t. rubeculus. Other differences relate to brow coloration, facial bands through the eye, tail length and overall size. A zone of intergradation occurs between the two subspecies in north-central Queensland.
- Scientific name
- Pomatostomus temporalis
- Authority
- (Vigors & Horsfield, 1827)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Timaliidae
- Genus
- Pomatostomus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
There are numerous lists of threatened fauna from within Australia. The official list of threatened species on the Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 does not consider the grey-crowned babbler (either as a species or subspecies) to be threatened.<p>From other sources, the national status of the grey-crowned babbler varies. The eastern subspecies is increasingly being considered threatened, although not by all:<p>The conservation status of the grey-crowned babbler varies from state to state within Australia. For example:<p>The key process that has led to the decline of the eastern subspecies of the grey-crowned babbler has been the historic loss and fragmentation of its preferred woodland habitat. Grey-crowned babblers generally have a poor ability to immigrate across unsuitable habitats. As a consequence of fragmentation, breeding success and groups sizes decline. Babbler groups are more susceptible to stochastic events leading to local extinction from a fragment. Once a fragment has lost its population of grey-crowned babblers, natural recolonisation rarely occurs because of the species' poor dispersal ability.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Sangkar White-eye
Zosterops melanurus
Typical-looking white-eye, with bright yellowish upperparts and bright white “spectacles.” Recently split from Oriental White-eye, to which it may still be referred to as in older literature. Throughout most of its range, this species has a yellow belly, but birds in the far western corner of Java have gray bellies. The only “classic white-eye” throughout much of its range; in areas of overlap with other species, Sangkar’s combination of dark eyes and a prominent dark stripe between the eye and bill base serve to identify it. Found in lowland and foothill forests, forest edges, gardens, and plantations. Calls include bright, descending “deee, deee.” Song is jumbled and high-pitched, and has made this species a sought-after target in the cagebird trade; as such, it is now uncommon or rare in certain areas of otherwise suitable habitat.
Yellow-browed Melidectes
Melidectes rufocrissalis
A fairly large honeyeater of mid-montane forest in eastern New Guinea. Body gray with white scaling on the back, olive wing feathers and buffy under the base of the tail. Pale green eye-ring and bare facial skin behind the eye with yellow lines above and behind. Similar to Belford’s Melidectes which it hybridizes with, but Yellow-browned has a pale bill and red wattles on the throat. Calls, loud parrotlike screeches similar to those of Belford’s Melidectes.
Yellow-throated White-eye
Zosterops metcalfii
Small. Yellowish-olive above with a bright yellow throat and base to the undertail and a gray belly. Has a thin white eye-ring and a small, smudgy black eye-stripe. Bill and legs dark gray. On Florida Island, birds lack the white eye-ring and have red eyes. Found in most habitats with trees or large bushes. Similar to Gray-throated White-eye, but has yellow throat and stronger olive coloration above. Common call is a loud repetitive “peep peep.”
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