Yellow-eyed Babbler

The Yellow-eyed Babbler (Chrysomma sinense) is a small, charming passerine bird, measuring approximately 18 centimeters in length. It is characterized by its brown upperparts and cinnamon-colored wings, with a distinctive white supercilium and lores. The eye rim is a striking orange-yellow in adults, and the beak is a stark black. The underparts are a pale whitish buff, and the bird sports a long, graduated tail, with central feathers about twice the length of the outermost. In the field, males and females are similar and cannot be easily distinguished.

Identification Tips

When identifying the Yellow-eyed Babbler, look for the white supercilium and lores, the orange-yellow eye rim, and the black beak. The bird's long tail and the coloration of the wings and upperparts are also key features. The subspecies vary slightly in plumage and bill structure, with the Sri Lankan subspecies having black nostrils and a stouter bill, while the Indian subspecies is paler with yellow nostrils.

Habitat

This species is typically found in grassy or thorny scrublands, both in arid and moist regions, as well as agricultural landscapes. It prefers the plains but can also be found in lower hills up to an elevation of 1200 meters.

Distribution

The Yellow-eyed Babbler's range extends from Pakistan through India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka to Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and China.

Behaviour

These social birds are often seen in small groups, foraging within bushes and occasionally emerging to the top of a stem before diving back into cover. They feed on insects, berries, and nectar, sometimes pinning their prey with their feet. Their calls are a series of cheeps or churrs, and during the breeding season, they produce a strong whistling song. They are known to nest cooperatively, with both parents involved in incubation and feeding the young. Communal roosting and mutual preening are part of their social behavior.

Song & Calls

The Yellow-eyed Babbler's song is a melodious twee-twee-ta-whit-chu, often sung from a prominent perch during the breeding season. Their regular calls consist of cheeping and churring sounds.

Breeding

Breeding mainly occurs during the southwest monsoon, with nests being deep cones of grass lined with fine fibers and camouflaged with cobwebs. Clutches typically contain three to five pinkish white eggs with chestnut-red patches. Incubation lasts about 15–16 days, and fledging occurs after roughly 13 days.

Similar Species

While there are no very similar species within its range, care should be taken not to confuse the Yellow-eyed Babbler with other babbler species that may share its habitat.

Diet and Feeding

The diet consists mainly of insects, supplemented with berries from plants like Lantana and Salvadora, as well as nectar. They exhibit the interesting behavior of holding food with their feet while feeding.

Conservation status

The IUCN Red List classifies the Yellow-eyed Babbler as Least Concern due to its wide distribution and stable population numbers.