Photo: Francesco Veronesi from Italy / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Brown Babbler
Turdoides plebejus
Brown Babbler (Turdoides plebejus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found on 1 guide in our atlas — open it for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Brown Babbler (Turdoides plebejus) is a member of the Leiothrichidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 62.5 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Leiothrichidae Laughingthrushes & Allies
- Genus Turdoides
- Species plebejus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 62.5 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Leiothrichidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Brown Babbler is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Brown Babbler is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Brown Babbler (Turdoides plebejus) belongs to the Leiothrichidae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF e, w, c.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 62.5 g, with a wing length of about 10.6 cm and a tail of around 10.2 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 5.2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Brown Babbler?
The Brown Babbler is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 62.5 g.
Where does the Brown Babbler live?
The Brown Babbler is found across Africa with a range covering AF e, w, c, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Brown Babbler belong to?
The Brown Babbler (Turdoides plebejus) belongs to the Leiothrichidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Brown Babbler eat?
The Brown Babbler is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Brown Babbler migrate?
The Brown Babbler is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Brown Babbler endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Brown Babbler make?
1 real field recording of the Brown Babbler — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Brown Babbler's range?
The Brown Babbler has a mapped global range of about 5.2 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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