Photo: Ron Knight / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Black-faced Babbler
Turdoides melanops
Black-faced Babbler (Turdoides melanops) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
The Black-faced Babbler (Turdoides melanops) is a member of the Leiothrichidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 77 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 melanops
Quick facts
- Weight
- 77 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Leiothrichidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black-faced Babbler is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it uses a wide range of foraging strategies.
Migration
The Black-faced Babbler is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Black-faced Babbler (Turdoides melanops) belongs to the Leiothrichidae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Africa. Its distribution covers AF sw.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 77 g, with a wing length of about 11 cm and a tail of around 11.6 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 224,000 km².
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black-faced Babbler?
The Black-faced Babbler is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 77 g.
Where does the Black-faced Babbler live?
The Black-faced Babbler is found across Africa with a range covering AF sw, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Black-faced Babbler belong to?
The Black-faced Babbler (Turdoides melanops) belongs to the Leiothrichidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Black-faced Babbler eat?
The Black-faced Babbler is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Black-faced Babbler migrate?
The Black-faced Babbler is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Black-faced 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.
How large is the Black-faced Babbler's range?
The Black-faced Babbler has a mapped global range of about 224,000 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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