Grey-crowned Babbler (eastern subspecies) - profile

Indicative distribution

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Key:

known

predicted

The areas shown in pink and/purple are the sub-regions where the species or community is known or predicted to occur. They may not occur thoughout the sub-region but may be restricted to certain areas. ( click here to see geographic restrictions). The information presented in this map is only indicative and may contain errors and omissions.

Scientific name: Pomatostomus temporalis temporalis

Conservation status in NSW: Vulnerable

Commonwealth status: Not listed

Gazetted date: 26 Oct 2001

Profile last updated: 01 Nov 2022

Description

The Grey-crowned Babbler is the largest of the four Australian babblers, reaching to 30 cm long. Its distinctive bill is scimitar-shaped, long and heavy. The broad white eyebrow and a pale grey crown-stripe are other distinguishing characters. A dark band passes from the bill through the eye, separating the pale throat and brow to giving a 'masked' look. It has dark greyish-brown upperparts and is paler brown on the underparts, grading to a whitish throat. It is distinctive in flight, showing white tips to the tail feathers, and orange-buff patches in the broad, rounded wings. Young birds have dark brown eyes, with the iris becoming paler with age, reaching a yellow colour by about three years. This species has a loud and often repeated ‘ya-hoo’ call which is a duet between the male and female (the female says ‘ya’ and the male answers with ‘hoo’). It is used to maintain the bond between the pair and as a territorial call. The ‘ya-hoo’ duet sequence is repeated rapidly, up to thirty times in a row. The Grey-crowned Babbler is distinctly larger than the three other babbler species and is also the only one to possess the distinctive rufous wing patches.

Distribution

The Grey-crowned Babbler has two distinctive subspecies that intergrade to the south of the Gulf of Carpentaria. West of here the subspecies rubeculus, formerly considered a separate species (Red-breasted Babbler) is still widespread and common. The eastern subspecies (temporalis occurs from Cape York south through Queensland, NSW and Victoria and formerly to the south east of South Australia. This subspecies also occurs in the Trans-Fly Region in southern New Guinea. In NSW, the eastern sub-species occurs on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range, and on the western plains reaching as far as Louth and Balranald. It also occurs in woodlands in the Hunter Valley and in several locations on the north coast of NSW. It may be extinct in the southern, central and New England tablelands.

Habitat and ecology

Inhabits open Box-Gum Woodlands on the slopes, and Box-Cypress-pine and open Box Woodlands on alluvial plains. Woodlands on fertile soils in coastal regions.
Flight is laborious so birds prefer to hop to the top of a tree and glide down to the next one. Birds are generally unable to cross large open areas.
Live in family groups that consist of a breeding pair and young from previous breeding seasons. A group may consist of up to fifteen birds. All members of the family group remain close to each other when foraging. A soft ‘chuck’ call is made by all birds as a way of keeping in contact with other group members.
Feed on invertebrates, either by foraging on the trunks and branches of eucalypts and other woodland trees or on the ground, digging and probing amongst litter and tussock grasses.
Build and maintain several conspicuous, dome-shaped stick nests about the size of a football. A nest is used as a dormitory for roosting each night. Nests are usually located in shrubs or sapling eucalypts, although they may be built in the outermost leaves of low branches of large eucalypts. Nests are maintained year round, and old nests are often dismantled to build new ones.
Breed between July and February. Usually two to three eggs are laid and incubated by the female. During incubation, the adult male and several helpers in the group may feed the female as she sits on the nest. Young birds are fed by all other members of the group.
Territories range from one to fifty hectares (usually around ten hectares) and are defended all year. Territorial disputes with neighbouring groups are frequent and may last up to several hours, with much calling, chasing and occasional fighting.

Regional distribution and habitat

Click on a region below to view detailed distribution, habitat and vegetation information.

Threats

Loss, degradation and fragmentation of woodland habitat on high fertility soils.
Excessive total grazing pressure and loss of coarse woody debris is resulting in degradation and loss of important habitat components.
Infestation of habitat by invasive weeds including exotic perennial grasses. These weeds are very aggressive and form dense grass swards covering inter-tussock spaces preventing access to leaf and stick litter where babblers commonly forage for invertebrates.
Inappropriate fire regimes - excessive fires lead to loss of tree and shrub regeneration and absence of fire may lead to the grass sward being too dense and therefore unsuitable for foraging by babblers.
Aggressive exclusion from forest and woodland habitat by over abundant Noisy Miners.
Climate change impacts including reduction in resources due to drought.
Nest predation by species such as ravens and butcherbirds may be an issue in some regions where populations are small and fragmented.

Recovery strategies

A Saving Our Species conservation project is currently being developed for this species and will be available soon. For information on how you can contribute to this species' recovery, see the Activities to assist this species section below.

Activities to assist this species

Retain, protect and restore areas of woodland habitat in areas being used by Grey-crowned Babblers.
Manage total grazing pressure to ensure natural regeneration of tree and shrub species and retention of grass cover, stick and leaf litter.
Retain woody debris in the understorey
Increase the size of existing remnants, planting trees and establishing buffer zones of unimproved uncultivated pasture around woodland remnants.
Control invasive exotic perennial grasses such as African Love Grass, Chilean Needle Grass, Serrated Tussock, Coolatai Grass and Kikuyu.
Conduct strategic hazard reduction burning in known habitat areas to provide a mosaic of different ages since last fire. Use crash grazing where fire may cause high mortality in a tree recruitment event

Information sources

Garnett, S.T. and Crowley, G.M. (2000) The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2000. Environment Australia, Canberra.
Higgins, P.J. and Peter, J.M. (eds.) (2002) Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Volume 6: Pardalotes to shrike-thrushes. (Oxford University Press, Melbourne)
NSW Scientific Committee (2001) Grey-crowned babbler (eastern subspecies) - Vulnerable species determination - final. DEC (NSW), Sydney.
Robinson, D. and Traill, B.J. (1996) Conserving woodland birds in the wheat and sheep belts of southern Australia. RAOU Conservation Statement No. 10. (Birds Australia, Melbourne)
Traill, B.J. and Duncan, S. (2000) Status of birds in the New South Wales Temperate woodlands region. Consultancy report to the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. (Australian Woodlands Conservancy, Chiltern, Victoria)

IBRA Bioregion	IBRA Subregion	Known or predicted	Geographic restrictions region

Brigalow Belt South	Liverpool Plains	Known	None
Brigalow Belt South	Liverpool Range	Known	None
Brigalow Belt South	Moonie-Barwon Interfluve	Known	None
Brigalow Belt South	Narrandool	Known	None
Brigalow Belt South	Northern Basalts	Known	None
Brigalow Belt South	Northern Outwash	Known	None
Brigalow Belt South	Pilliga	Known	None
Brigalow Belt South	Pilliga Outwash	Known	None
Brigalow Belt South	Talbragar Valley	Known	None
Channel Country	Bulloo	Predicted	None
Channel Country	Bulloo Dunefields	Predicted	None
Cobar Peneplain	Barnato Downs	Known	None
Cobar Peneplain	Boorindal Plains	Known	None
Cobar Peneplain	Canbelego Downs	Known	None
Cobar Peneplain	Lachlan Plains	Known	None
Cobar Peneplain	Nymagee	Known	None
Darling Riverine Plains	Bogan-Macquarie	Known	None
Darling Riverine Plains	Castlereagh-Barwon	Known	None
Darling Riverine Plains	Culgoa-Bokhara	Known	None
Darling Riverine Plains	Louth Plains	Known	None
Darling Riverine Plains	Warrambool-Moonie	Known	None
Darling Riverine Plains	Wilcannia Plains	Known	None
Mulga Lands	Cuttaburra-Paroo	Known	None
Mulga Lands	Kerribree Basin	Predicted	None
Mulga Lands	Nebine Plains	Known	None
Mulga Lands	Paroo Overflow	Predicted	None
Mulga Lands	Paroo-Darling Sands	Known	None
Mulga Lands	Urisino Sandplains	Known	None
Mulga Lands	Warrego Plains	Known	None
Mulga Lands	Warrego Sands	Known	None
Mulga Lands	West Warrego	Known	None
Murray Darling Depression	Darling Depression	Known	None
Murray Darling Depression	South Olary Plain	Known	None
Nandewar	Inverell Basalts	Known	None
Nandewar	Kaputar	Known	None
Nandewar	Nandewar Northern Complex	Known	None
Nandewar	Peel	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Bundarra Downs	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Eastern Nandewars	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Severn River Volcanics	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Stanthorpe Plateau	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Tingha Plateau	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Barrington	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Cataract	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Coffs Coast and Escarpment	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Dalmorton	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Ellerston	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Karuah Manning	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Mummel Escarpment	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Tomalla	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Upper Hunter	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Yuraygir	Known	None
NSW South Western Slopes	Capertee Valley	Known	None
NSW South Western Slopes	Inland Slopes	Known	None
NSW South Western Slopes	Lower Slopes	Known	None
Ocean	Tweed-Moreton	Known	None
Ocean - Other State	Northern Australian Coastal Waters	Known	None
Other State	QLD	Known	None
Riverina	Lachlan	Known	None
Riverina	Murray Fans	Known	None
Riverina	Murrumbidgee	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Capertee Uplands	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Hill End	Known	None
South Eastern Highlands	Orange	Known	None
South Eastern Queensland	Clarence Lowlands	Known	None
South Eastern Queensland	Clarence Sandstones	Known	None
South Eastern Queensland	Scenic Rim	Known	None
South Eastern Queensland	Woodenbong	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Hunter	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Kerrabee	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Wollemi	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Wyong	Known	None
Sydney Basin	Yengo	Known	None

Sounds

Images

Grey-crowned Babbler, Ted Shimba Image 1 of 3.
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