Yellow-billed Babbler

Overview

The yellow-billed babbler (Argya affinis) is a non-migratory bird endemic to southern India and Sri Lanka. It is a common resident breeder in scrub, cultivation, and garden land, classified as Least Concern by the IUCN.

Identification

• Grey-brown upperparts, grey throat and breast with mottling, and a pale buff belly.
• Bluish-white eyes with a whitish crown and nape in the nominate subspecies found in southern India.
• Short rounded wings and a weak flight, rarely flying long distances.
• Highly vocal with a higher-pitched call compared to the jungle babbler, producing continual chattering, squeaking, and chirping.

Habitat

Patchily distributed in southern India and Sri Lanka, preferring lower altitudes and drier habitats than the jungle babbler. It is a common garden bird that frequently visits urban and suburban areas, avoiding heavy forest but occurring in scrub and cultivation.

Diet

Feeds mainly on insects but also consumes fruit, nectar, and human food scraps. It has been recorded taking Calotes versicolor lizards and whip-scorpions while foraging on or close to the ground.

Did you know?

One member of the flock often perches high to act as a sentinel while the rest forage, communicating with wing fluttering and hopping. This bird particularly enjoys bathing, sometimes visiting birdbaths in territories after sunset.