White-browed Babbler Pomatostomus superciliosus Scientific name definitions

17–22 cm; 30–50 g. Small, dull brown pomatostomid with comparatively narrow white supercilium, mainly white underbody. Nominate race has top of head dark brown, fairly narrow, long white supercilium from side of forehead to side of neck, bordered narrowly above and below with uneven black lines; broad blackish eyestripe extending across lores and ear-coverts, grading to grey-brown on neck side; upperparts mostly brown or greyish-brown, grading to dark brown on uppertail-coverts; upperwing dark brown, coverts with light greyish fringes; tail blackish-brown, white tips of feathers broadest on outer rectrices (and obvious in flight); chin, throat and centre of breast and belly white, grading to grey-brown on flanks and sides of breast and belly, and to dark brown on undertail-coverts, latter with whitish scaling; underwing-coverts and axillaries light rufous-brown; iris dark brown; bill black, narrow whitish or pale bluish strip along base of lower mandible; legs grey-black. Sexes similar. Juvenile is very like adult, but bill shorter and less decurved and lacks pale line, gape yellow, and greater secondary upperwing-coverts, primary coverts and tertials have narrow light rufous edges; immature probably indistinguishable from adult in field. Races vary slightly in darkness and tone of upperparts and width of white tail tips: ashbyi is slightly larger and subtly paler than nominate; centralis is slightly smaller and darker than nominate; <em>gilgandra</em> is very like nominate and previous but has slightly longer tail, plumage very marginally darker than nominate, white tail tips usually broader.

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Mainly insects, including cockroaches (Blattodea), beetles (Coleoptera), grasshoppers (Orthoptera), bugs (Hemiptera), wasps (Hymenoptera), butterfly larvae (Lepidoptera) and ants (Formicidae); also seeds, fruits, spiders (Araneae), and eggs or nestlings of small birds such as House Sparrow (Passer domesticus). Forages mainly on ground , but also in low shrubs or trees. Often probes among crevices, bark and fallen timber or leaf litter. Occasionally drinks water. Usually in groups of up to 15 individuals.

Recorded in all months, but mainly Jul–Nov. Breeds co-operatively in groups, with up to six helpers, but nature of bonds not fully understood; some groups have more than one breeding pair. Nests used for breeding and roosting, brood-nests typically built by breeding female, roosting nests built by all members of groups; a large dome , often with hooded or spout-like entrance near top, made of long sticks and lined with grass, bark, wool, feathers, plant down and leaf litter, placed 0·5–6 m above ground, usually in shrub or small tree (often Eucalyptus, Grevillea, Callitris or Acacia) and typically supported by fork or interlocking branches; home range of group 1·5–15 ha. Clutch 1–6 eggs, usually 2–4; incubation by female parent, period 19–20 days; chicks fed by both parents and by helpers, fledging period 16–17 days; fledglings fed by all members of group. Nest parasitism by Pallid Cuckoo (Heteroscenes pallidus) and Black-eared Cuckoo (Chalcites osculans) recorded. Hatching success c. 31%, fledging success c. 16%. Annual survival rate estimated at 83% in Victoria, and at least 66% for adults in Western Australia (Peron Peninsula).