Grey-crowned Babbler Pomatostomus temporalis
What do they look like ? Medium sized , slim , dark brown bird , approximately 30 cm long . They have a pale chin and crown that looks white , but it is usually pale grey on close inspection . Grey-crowned Babblers have a thin , curved beak , similar to a honeyeater ’ s . They generally occur in co-operative family groups .
Where do they live ? Open woodlands and occasionally more closed forests with mixed ground layer . They are often very common in areas that have a layer of smaller trees or shrubs like quinine bush , in which they nest . Widespread in eastern and northern Australia but has declined in Victoria and New South Wales . Still common across most of the region .
What do they need to live , eat and breed ? Usually feeds by moving as a group slowly through undergrowth and low shrubs . Grey-crowned Babblers are gleaners of insects and other small invertebrates . Roosts and breeds in large , round nests of twigs about the size of a basketball , usually only a few metres off the ground . Family members ‘ pitch in ’ to feed and raise chicks .
When might I see ( or hear ) them ? Active by day , often associates loosely with Apostlebirds ( happy jacks ). The natural behaviour of Grey-crowned Babblers is to move as a group through the undergrowth , muttering and chattering quietly . This is rarely observed because of their vigorous response to humans and dogs when they rise as a flock into mid-storey shrubs and trees and make loud , scolding calls . They sometimes make a loud ‘ yahooing ’ call that can be heard from long distances .
What management actions affect this species ? Grey-crowned Babblers require a woody vegetation understorey and a mixed ground layer in which to nest and feed . Maintaining structural and micro-habitat diversity and dense ground cover , especially leaf litter , benefits Grey-crowned Babblers . Extensive clearing and thinning causes declines in population . They are invariably absent from long-cleared areas , except around the fringes .
How do they benefit the land I manage ? As part of a large suite of insectivorous birds , Grey-crowned Babblers help keep woodland ecosystems healthy by controlling pest insects . One can easily imagine large family groups of Grey-crowned Babblers cleaning up many thousands of moth grubs , or ‘ hoppers ’ at the beginning of a locust plague . While foraging , they turn over leaf mulch thus assisting with incorporation of organic matter and nutrients .
22