Black-faced Babbler
Turdoides melanops
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyLeiothrichidae (Laughingthrushes and Allies)
- GenusTurdoides (Turdoides Babblers)
- SpeciesTurdoides melanops (Black-faced Babbler)
About the Black-faced Babbler
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.
Black-faced babblers are 21 to 25 cm (8.5 to 10 in) 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'." They forage in leaf litter and are "much more furtive than the other babblers". Black-faced babbler - Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds. Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Black-faced Babbler in Etosha National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Etosha National Park
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Passer diffusus
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 2 | Moremi Game Reserve | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 3 | Chobe National Park | 🇧🇼 Botswana |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Black-faced Babbler in Etosha National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Black-faced Babbler sighting in Etosha National Park, based on 133 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Black-faced Babbler in Etosha National Park?
November has the highest sighting rate for Black-faced Babbler in Etosha National Park in our monthly data.