Large Grey Babbler

Latin Name: 
Turdoides malcolmi
Category: 
Size: 
28cm
Description: 

Sexes alike. Grey-brown above; dark centres to feathers on back give streaked look; greyer forehead; long graduated tail cross-rayed with white outer feathers, conspicuous in flight; fulvous-grey below. Gregarious; flocks in open country, sometimes dozens together; extremely noisy; moves on ground and in medium-sized trees; hops about, turning over leaves on ground; weak flight, never for long; at any sign of danger, the flock comes together.

Habitat: 
scrub, open country, gardens, vicinity of habitation.
Food: 
insects, seeds, berries; rarely flower nectar.
Distribution: 
from around E Uttar Pradesh, Delhi environs, south through most of peninsula; east to Bihar; abundant in the Deccan.
Call: 
Call Description: 
very noisy; a chorus of squeaking chatter; short alarm note.
National Status: