Bare-cheeked Babbler Turdoides gymnogenys Scientific name definitions

24–25 cm; 65–91 g. Medium-sized Turdoides babbler, mid-brown above and white below , with pale greyish crown, black skin on face and buffy-rufous nape and neck sides. Nominate race has crown pale greyish with white and buffy tinges and some small black shaft streaks, shading to pale-scaled buffy rufous on nape and neck sides and to buffy-scaled mid-brown on mantle, plumage slightly darkening posteriorly but with white rump , and dark brown upperwing and tail; lores and supercilium white, bare black skin from bill below eye to ear-coverts (often crossed by strips of white feathers, so appearance as much “bar-cheeked” as “bare-cheeked”); lower face and underparts white, some buffy rufous on flanks (probably not usually visible in field); iris lemon-yellow (sometimes grey-brown in male, whitish or pale yellow in female); bill black; legs dusky grey to brownish-flesh. Sexes similar. Juvenile has slightly stronger greyish-brown crown and less intense buffy-rufous nape and neck sides than adult. Race <em>kaokensis</em> is like nominate, but mantle and scapulars slightly paler brown, buffy rufous of neck side , breast side and flanks also paler, smaller bare patch on ear-coverts more broken by thin lines of white feathers.

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Chorus song a loud chattering “kerrrakerrra-kek-kek-kek”, very like that of T. jardineii, which arises out of continuous low grating “chuk… chuk… chuk…” contact call , also described as a harsh “jeee-jeee-jeee…” or “jaaa-jaaa-jaaa…”. Sentinel birds give soft “lull lull lull” call.