Newsletter / Blog
2012-05-27 Aves bird of the week – Southern Pied Babbler – Turdoides bicolor
Southern
Pied Babbler
The Southern Pied Babbler - Turdoides bicolor - is endemic to Southern
Africa. It is locally common in arid and semi-arid savanna
woodland across northern Namibia,
Botswana, Zimbabwe and northern South Africa.
Description
The head is white,
while the bill is black and the eyes orange/yellow. Throat is white, brown legs
with a white back. Overall white with a black bill, tail and wings.
Call
Has a distinctive
harsh, chattering call.
Food
Food consists of
a variety of insects supplemented with small reptiles and amphibians, foraging
in groups on the ground, flicking away leaves and twigs in search of prey.
Breeding
They are
cooperative breeders which live in year-round groups of 3 to 15 birds. The nest
is built by all group members and is typically placed in a fork in the center
of a thorny tree. Eggs are laid from August to April and 2 to 5 eggs are laid,
which are incubated for about 16 days. The chicks are fed by all group members.
They leave the nest after 16 days and remain dependent on the group for about
10 more weeks. Inbreeding avoidance – Southern Pied Babblers - individuals
appear to avoid inbreeding through two routes. First, through dispersal itself:
although both males and females disperse locally, they move outside the range
within which genetically similar individuals are usually found, going twice as
far from natal groups as from non-natal groups. Second, through avoidance of
familiar group members as mates: individuals inherit a dominant position in the
natal group only when an unrelated breeding partner is present.
Conservation Status – Least Concern
This species has
a very large breeding range and, although the global population size has not
been quantified, the species is described as locally common to very common. The
population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction
and fragmentation, but it is not considered threatened at present.
Birdwatching
Ask Aves Birding
Tours/Safaris/Adventures to create an Aves custom tour for you or book on one
of the following Aves Birding Tours/Safaris/Adventures: -
Aves North West Birding Tour
/ Safari / Adventure.
References
Roberts - Birds
of southern Africa.
The Bird Guide of
Southern Africa
Wikipedia
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