Habitat
Mainly dense mulga shrubland with grassy layer, including spinifex. In small, active, groups of up to fifteen and less often up to twenty-five.
Inland eastern Australia from south-western Queensland (south of Finucane Range, east to Forsyth Range) south to north-western New South Wales.
Western Queensland and north-central New South Wales, approximately north to Winton, west to Windorah, east to Charleville in Queensland, and south to Mootwingee, NSW.
Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.
Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).
Nest
Bulky, dome, with a side entrance near the top, composed of sticks and twigs, thickly lined with grass, fur and plant-down, usually well-concealed in a bush.
Eggs (Guide)
1 or 2; creamy brown with fine hair-lines of dark brown, mostly at the larger end; oval; about 18 x 24 mm. Incubation: by female.
Young
Altricial, nidicolous. Fledge in more than 10 days.
Subspecies
No subspecies.
Similar Species
Grey-crowned Babbler (Pomatostomus temporalis) which also has a broad white supercillium, but has more grey-brown upperparts and lighter brown lower underparts and Chestnut-crowned Babbler (Pomatostomus ruficeps) which has a much narrower supercillium, greyer upperparts and double white wingbars.
Compare Images
The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9
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BirdLife International Species Factsheet