Black-faced babbler
Species of songbird
title: "Black-faced babbler" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["argya", "birds-of-central-africa", "birds-of-southern-africa", "fauna-of-namibia", "birds-described-in-1867", "taxa-named-by-gustav-hartlaub", "taxonomy-articles-created-by-polbot"] description: "Species of songbird" topic_path: "general/argya" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-faced_babbler" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Species of songbird ::
| image = Black-faced Babbler.jpg | image_caption = At Etosha NP, Namibia | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = | taxon = Turdoides melanops | authority = (Hartlaub, 1867)
The black-faced babbler (Turdoides melanops) is a species of songbird in the family Leiothrichidae. It was once it was considered conspecific with the black-lored babbler, A. sharpei.
As defined here, it occurs in northwestern Botswana, northern Namibia, and Angola. Like other Turdoides, it is found low or on the ground in or near dense woody vegetation, including in cultivated areas.
Description
Black-faced babblers are 21 to long. Birds are largely grayish brown with geographically and individually variable white mottling, especially below. The combination of pale yellow or white eyes and black lores (the areas between the eye and the bill) separates this species from similar babblers, though all juvenile babblers have brown eyes.
The calls are described as "A nasal 'wha-wha-wha' and a harsh, fast 'papapapa'."
Behavior
They forage in leaf litter and are "much more furtive than the other babblers".
References
References
- BirdLife International. (2016). "''Turdoides melanops''".
- (2002). "Birds of Southern Africa". Princeton University Press.
- (1999). "Birds of Kenya and Northern Tanzania, Field Guide Edition". Princeton University Press.
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