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Babblers, Scimitar Babblers

The Old World babblers, belonging to the family Timaliidae, are a group of passerine birds native mostly to the Old World, particularly thriving in the tropical regions of Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Exhibiting a wide range in size and color, these birds are best known for their soft, fluffy plumage. They are generally small to medium-sized with strong legs, often appearing terrestrial. Their bills vary from thrush or warbler-like to the decurved ones seen in scimitar babblers. Colors predominantly skew towards brown with some species being more colorful, and dimorphism between sexes is often minimal. Old World babblers are not highly migratory and are adapted to life in lightly wooded or scrubland habitats, ranging from swamps to near-deserts. Insectivorous by nature, they also consume berries, and the larger species may prey on small vertebrates like lizards. These birds tend to live and breed in communal groups, sharing the responsibility of raising the young; young males stay with the original group while females tend to leave in search of new groups to prevent inbreeding. Their nests, made from twigs, are cleverly hidden in dense foliage. For many years, the classification of Old World babblers remained challenging, with the group being used as a catch-all category for many difficult-to-classify passerines. However, recent molecular studies have shed light on their taxonomy, spreading them across various families and confirming that they do not form a monophyletic group. The family as currently recognized comprises 58 species across ten genera, including the well-known scimitar babblers and wren-babblers among others, notable for their diverse sizes and habitat preferences.

Regions

Categories

All
Accentors
African & Green Broadbills
Albatrosses
Alcippe Fulvettas
Anhingas, Darters
Asian Barbets
Auks
Austral Storm Petrels
Australasian Babblers
Australasian Robins
Australasian Warblers
Australasian Wrens
Australo-Papuan Bellbirds

Babblers, Scimitar Babblers

Barn Owls
Bee-eaters
Birds-of-paradise
Boatbills
Bristlehead
Bulbuls
Buntings
Bushtits
Bustards
Buttonquail
Caracaras, Falcons
Cassowaries, Emu
Cettia Bush Warblers & Allies
Chats, Old World Flycatchers
Cisticolas & Allies
Cockatoos
Cormorants, Shags
Coursers, Pratincoles
Crab-plover
Cranes
Crombecs, African Warblers
Crows, Jays
Cuckoos
Cuckooshrikes
Cupwings
Dippers
Drongos
Ducks, Geese, Swans
Elachura
Fairy Flycatchers
Fairy-bluebirds
Fantails
Figbirds, Orioles, Turnagra
Finches, Euphonias
Finfoots
Flamingos
Flowerpeckers
Flufftails
Frigatebirds
Frogmouths
Gannets, Boobies
Goldcrests, Kinglets
Grassbirds & Allies
Grebes
Ground Babblers
Gulls, Terns, Skimmers
Herons, Bitterns
Honeyeaters
Honeyguides
Hoopoes
Hornbills
Hylocitrea
Ibisbill
Ibises, Spoonbills
Ifrit
Indigobirds, Whydahs
Ioras
Jacanas
Jewel-babblers, Quail-thrushes
Kingfishers
Kites, Hawks, Eagles
Larks
Laughingthrushes & Allies
Leaf Warblers & Allies
Leafbirds
Longspurs, Snow Buntings
Magpie Goose
Megapodes
Melampittas
Monarchs
Mottled Berryhunter
Nightjars
Northern Storm Petrels
Nuthatches
Old World Parrots
Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches
Ospreys
Owls
Oystercatchers
Painted-snipes
Parrotbills & Allies
Pelicans
Penduline Tits
Petrels, Shearwaters, Diving Petrels
Pheasants & Allies
Pigeons, Doves
Pittas
Ploughbill
Plovers
Rail-babbler
Rails, Crakes & Coots
Reed Warblers & Allies
Rollers
Sandpipers, Snipes
Shrikes
Sittellas
Skuas
Starlings, Rhabdornis
Stilts, Avocets
Stone-curlews, Thick-knees
Storks
Sunbirds
Swallows, Martins
Swifts
Sylviid Babblers
Thrushes
Tits, Chickadees
Treecreepers
Treeswifts
Trogons
Tropicbirds
Typical Broadbills
Vangas & Allies
Vireos, Greenlets, Shrike-babblers
Wagtails, Pipits
Wallcreeper
Waxbills, Munias & Allies
Waxwings
Weavers, Widowbirds
Whipbirds
Whistlers & Allies
White-eyes
Woodpeckers
Woodswallows, Butcherbirds & Allies
Wrens
Jayshrike
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Species Categories

AccentorsAfrican & Green BroadbillsAlbatrossesAlcippe FulvettasAnhingas, DartersAsian BarbetsAuksAustral Storm PetrelsAustralasian BabblersAustralasian RobinsAustralasian WarblersAustralasian WrensAustralo-Papuan BellbirdsBabblers, Scimitar BabblersBarn OwlsBee-eatersBirds-of-paradiseBoatbillsBristleheadBulbulsBuntingsBushtitsBustardsButtonquailCaracaras, FalconsCassowaries, EmuCettia Bush Warblers & AlliesChats, Old World FlycatchersCisticolas & AlliesCockatoosCormorants, ShagsCoursers, PratincolesCrab-ploverCranesCrombecs, African WarblersCrows, JaysCuckoosCuckooshrikesCupwingsDippersDrongosDucks, Geese, SwansElachuraFairy FlycatchersFairy-bluebirdsFantailsFigbirds, Orioles, TurnagraFinches, EuphoniasFinfootsFlamingosFlowerpeckersFlufftailsFrigatebirdsFrogmouthsGannets, BoobiesGoldcrests, KingletsGrassbirds & AlliesGrebesGround BabblersGulls, Terns, SkimmersHerons, BitternsHoneyeatersHoneyguidesHoopoesHornbillsHylocitreaIbisbillIbises, SpoonbillsIfritIndigobirds, WhydahsIorasJacanasJewel-babblers, Quail-thrushesKingfishersKites, Hawks, EaglesLarksLaughingthrushes & AlliesLeaf Warblers & AlliesLeafbirdsLongspurs, Snow BuntingsMagpie GooseMegapodesMelampittasMonarchsMottled BerryhunterNightjarsNorthern Storm PetrelsNuthatchesOld World ParrotsOld World Sparrows, SnowfinchesOspreysOwlsOystercatchersPainted-snipesParrotbills & AlliesPelicansPenduline TitsPetrels, Shearwaters, Diving PetrelsPheasants & AlliesPigeons, DovesPittasPloughbillPloversRail-babblerRails, Crakes & CootsReed Warblers & AlliesRollersSandpipers, SnipesShrikesSittellasSkuasStarlings, RhabdornisStilts, AvocetsStone-curlews, Thick-kneesStorksSunbirdsSwallows, MartinsSwiftsSylviid BabblersThrushesTits, ChickadeesTreecreepersTreeswiftsTrogonsTropicbirdsTypical BroadbillsVangas & AlliesVireos, Greenlets, Shrike-babblersWagtails, PipitsWallcreeperWaxbills, Munias & AlliesWaxwingsWeavers, WidowbirdsWhipbirdsWhistlers & AlliesWhite-eyesWoodpeckersWoodswallows, Butcherbirds & AlliesWrensJayshrike

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