Jungle Babbler
Nesting, Perching, Foraging and Roosting habits of Jungle Babbler
Jungle Babblers are ash-brown coloured bird that has a yellow bill and a dark brow in front of the eye that contrasts with its pale eye giving it a perpetual “angry” look. It has vague streaking on the upperparts, diffuse mottling on its throat, and barring on its tail. The multiple races vary slightly in colour and strength of markings except for the race Somerville of the NW peninsula which has dark brown outer wing feathers that contrast with the rest of the wing. They are often seen in noisy flocks hopping on the ground and flicking litter in search of food.
These birds are gregarious and very social. They sometimes form the core of a mixed-species foraging flock. They feed mainly on insects but also eats grains, nectar and berries. When foraging, some birds take up a high vantage point and act as sentinels. They are known to gather and mob potential predators such as snakes.
They breed throughout the year; with peak breeding in northern India being noted between March–April and July–September. The nest is built halfway in a tree, concealed in dense masses of foliage.
The bird paths were observed every morning in the month of December on the University campus from 7 am to 8 am and evenings from 5 pm to 6 pm to identify the circulation.
Jungle babbler nests open branches of Madagascar almond on site. Structurally, the host vegetation ranges from low scrub less than 1 m high, dominated by Zizyphus nummularia, to closed-canopy woodland up to 20 m high, including several species of Acacia and Prosopis and Butea monosperma, with an under-story of Adhatoda vasica Nees. Due to the absence of host trees, the birds perch on Terminalia mantaly.
