The white-rumped babbler is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It is found in Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia and South Sudan.
Region
Horn of Africa
Typical Environment
Occurs in dry thorn scrub, acacia savanna, and dense riverine thickets across parts of Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, and South Sudan. It favors broken terrain with bushes, rocky gullies, and edges of cultivation where cover is available. Often found along wadis, hedgerows, and scrubby slopes, and it readily uses secondary growth. The species tolerates proximity to villages so long as dense shrubs or tangles are present.
Altitude Range
500–2500 m
Climate Zone
Arid
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
The white-rumped babbler is a social, chatty bird that moves in tight-knit family groups through dense scrub. Its crisp white rump flashes conspicuously when it flicks its long tail or makes short flights between bushes. Groups often engage in antiphonal choruses, with individuals taking turns to produce a rapid, bubbling sequence of notes. It is adaptable and can persist in human-modified landscapes with sufficient cover.
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief, low flights between cover
Social Behavior
Lives in small groups that forage together and maintain close contact with chattering calls. Likely practices cooperative breeding, with several group members assisting at the nest. Nests are placed low in dense shrubs or thorny tangles, and territories are defended with noisy group choruses.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocal repertoire includes rapid, bubbling chatters, harsh scolds, and musical twitters delivered in overlapping, antiphonal sequences. Dawn and dusk choruses are especially lively, with groups calling back and forth from concealed perches.
Plumage
Sooty-brown to dark brown overall with a contrasting, clean white rump and lower back; long, graduated tail often showing pale tips. Underparts are slightly paler brown with a soft, diffuse appearance. Feathers are smooth with minimal streaking, giving a fairly uniform look except for the rump.
Diet
Takes a variety of invertebrates such as beetles, ants, termites, spiders, and caterpillars gleaned from the ground and low vegetation. Also consumes small fruits and berries when available, and may pick seeds or small vertebrates opportunistically. Foraging is methodical, with frequent tail flicks and probing into leaf-litter and twiggy tangles.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in dense scrub, thorn thickets, and along edges of fields or dry watercourses where leaf-litter and cover are abundant. Often forages on or near the ground, moving between bushes and rocky outcrops.
