Jungle Babbler : The Chatterbox

We often come across a group of noisy, playful birds hopping on the ground and marking their presence by a loud and harsh squeaking and chirping. Babblers announce their arrival before actually arriving. They never go unnoticed and make themselves heard.

                                            Jungle babblers are generally seen in a group of 3 to 7 (or more) birds , celebrating their take-off, flight and arrival with a (loud) blast.

                                                The group of jungle babblers perfectly portray a classic Indian family gathering.

Here are some details about the ever babbling Jungle babbler:

Jungle babbler 

Common names: Jungle babbler,  seven sisters,  saat bhai (seven brothers).

Scientific name: Turdoides striata 

Identification: 

• Male and female look similar.
• Plumage is grayish in colour.
• They have a yellow bill (beak).
• The eyes are white (pale) in colour.
• They produce harsh and continuous calls.

Habitat: They inhabit open woodlands,  cultivation land and forests.

Jungle babbler collecting nesting material

Food: Mainly feed upon insects , grains , nectar and berries.

 Social behaviour: 

• These birds are gregarious and highly social.
• They show mob potential against predators like snakes.
• Helpers assist the parents in feeding young ones.
• These birds indulge in allopreening , pseudo fights and chase each other while playing.
• They sometimes play dead when threatened by predators.

Threats:

• Jungle babblers hold agricultural importance as they feed upon pests that damage the crop. But the extensive use of pesticides not only cause a damage to the pests but to these birds also , hence marking a decline in their number.
• The release of environmental pollutants adversly affect the species.
• The global issue of climate change and extensive urbanization may be one of the reasons for their declining population.
• The jungle babblers are lesser studied species, which means minimum availability of field data about them , which in turn implies to lack of conservation strategies for them.

Our role in conservation: 

• Policy implementation for such (common) species require field data over a longer period of time , over a large geographical region. This can be achieved by an increased participation of local residents for data collection. That would also enhance the awareness about conservation among local people.

 
IUCN Status: Least concern. 

Photographs and video by: Yamini Dashora.