Black-faced Babbler (Turdoides melanops)

Other Names (World)
Black-faced Babbler, Black-lored Babbler

Family
Leiotrichidae (Laughingthrushes And Allies)

Size
22 - 23 cm

First Described (Guide)
(Hartlaub, 1867)

Habitat
Varied, forest edge, thickets, acacia bush.

Range (Guide)

Angola, Botswana, Namibia.

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).

Status LC
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Habits
Usually in groups.

Voice
A harsh chattering and scolding.

Xeno-Canto Sound Files

Black-faced Babbler (Turdoides melanops) [XC189023]
by id from Mahango Game Park, Kavango, Namibia (call)

Black-faced Babbler (Turdoides melanops) [XC347134]
by Niall Perrins from Roy's Rest Camp, Namibia (call)

Subspecies
Black-faced Babbler (Turdoides melanops) and Black-lored Babbler (Turdoides sharpei) (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) are retained as separate species contra Dowsett and Forbes-Watson (1993) who include sharpei as a subspecies of Black-faced Babbler (Turdoides melanops).

Formerly thought possibly to form a superspecies, and even perhaps to be conspecific, with Dusky Babbler (Turdoides tenebrosa) and Blackcap Babbler (Turdoides reinwardtii). Alternatively suggested as part of a superspecies with Black-lored Babbler (Turdoides sharpei), White-rumped Babbler (Turdoides leucopygia) and Hartlaub's Babbler (Turdoides hartlaubii). Often treated as conspecific with Black-lored Babbler (Turdoides sharpei).

The following 3 subspecies are recognised:

angolensis (Hartlaub, 1867) - South-western Angola (Hu��la, eastern Namibe).
melanops (Hartlaub, 1867) - Southern Angola and northern Namibia.
querula Clancey, 1979 - South-eastern Angola, north-western Botswana and north-eastern Namibia (Caprivi), also, disjunctly, extreme western Zimbabwe.

References
See References.

Files:

JPG files for Black-faced Babbler (Turdoides melanops) - 10 files

More Information

BirdLife International

For more information about the Black-faced Babbler see... Show Articles

BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Articles about the Black-faced Babbler

If you would like to read any articles about the Black-faced Babbler...

Show Articles (0)

No Pictures of Black-faced Babbler

If Birdpedia has no pictures of Black-faced Babbler or you would like to see more, then try the following...

Show External Images from BING

From BING (10)

No Videos of Black-faced Babbler

If Birdpedia has no videos of Black-faced Babbler or you would like to see more, then try the following..

Show External Videos

From BING (0)