Australasian Babblers

The Australo-Papuan babblers, belonging to the family Pomatostomidae, are native to Australia-New Guinea and comprise five recognized species, including the possibility of the grey-crowned babbler's subspecies rubeculus being distinct. These birds, medium in size and with nondescript plumage of brown, russet, and grey, distinguish themselves with their long decurved bills and strong terrestrial legs. Males and females are similar in appearance, often exhibiting white facial markings, except for the Papuan babbler. They are ground-dwelling omnivores that live in social groups and communicate vocally during communal foraging for insects, seeds, and small vertebrates. These babblers demonstrate cooperative breeding within their territory, constructing nests for both roosting and breeding with the help of extended family members. They have an extended breeding season, with chicks being fed by the group even after fledging. The Pomatostomidae consists of species such as the Papuan babbler, grey-crowned babbler, white-browed babbler, Hall's babbler, and chestnut-crowned babbler distributed across regions of Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea.