Black-faced Babbler (Turdoides melanops)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Black-faced Babbler

Turdoides melanops (Hartlaub, 1867)

21–25 cmLength77 gWeight

The black-faced babbler (Turdoides melanops) is a species of songbird in the family Leiothrichidae.

Busiest months: July, September and November · Most records: Namibia, Botswana, Angola

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Black-faced Babbler has been recorded at 15 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 3 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Bwabwata NP – Mahango riverside loopNamibia25 records
  2. Tchincombe Mission FarmAngola21 records
  3. Drotsky's CabinsBotswana18 records
More places
  1. Bwabwata National Park – Buffalo Core AreaNamibia14 records
  2. Mahangu Safari LodgeNamibia11 records
  3. Bwabwata NP – Mahango Core AreaNamibia9 records
  4. Etosha NP – Namutoni CampNamibia7 records
  5. Okavango Delta – Shakawe River LodgeBotswana6 records
  6. Hakusembe LodgeNamibia5 records
  7. Ngepi CampNamibia3 records

Countries and regions with the most records

NamibiaBotswanaAngola

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

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.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Black-faced Babbler?

The Black-faced Babbler is about 21–25 cm long and weighs around 77 g.

Where does the Black-faced Babbler live?

Its breeding range: Africa: southwestern. It is most often recorded in Namibia, Botswana and Angola.

When is the best time to see the Black-faced Babbler?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in July, September and November (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Black-faced Babbler endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Black-faced Babbler as Least Concern.

What does the Black-faced Babbler eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Black-faced Babbler in?

It belongs to the family Laughingthrushes & Allies (Leiothrichidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length
21–25 cm
Weight
77 g
Habitat
Woodland
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Varied
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
110 mm
Tail
116 mm
Bill
26 mm
Tarsus
34 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: southwestern

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Laughingthrushes & Allies Leiothrichidae
Genus
Turdoides

Other birds in the genus Turdoides

Spiny BabblerSpiny BabblerTurdoides nipalensisCapuchin BabblerCapuchin BabblerTurdoides atripennisWhite-throated Mountain BabblerWhite-throated Mountain BabblerTurdoides gilbertiChapin's BabblerChapin's BabblerTurdoides chapiniRed-collared BabblerRed-collared BabblerTurdoides rufocinctusBrown BabblerBrown BabblerTurdoides plebejusWhite-rumped BabblerWhite-rumped BabblerTurdoides leucopygiaHinde's BabblerHinde's BabblerTurdoides hindeiScaly BabblerScaly BabblerTurdoides squamulataArrow-marked BabblerArrow-marked BabblerTurdoides jardineiiBare-cheeked BabblerBare-cheeked BabblerTurdoides gymnogenysWhite-headed BabblerWhite-headed BabblerTurdoides leucocephala
Black-faced Babbler

Download illustration

Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Joseph Morlan. ↗

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