The Jungle Babbler

The jungle babbler (Turdoides striata) is a member of the Leiothrichidae family found in the Indian subcontinent. They are gregarious birds that forage in small groups of six to ten birds, a habit that has given them the popular name of Seven Sisters or Saath bhai in Hindi with cognates in other regional languages which means “seven brothers”.

The jungle babbler is a common resident breeding bird in most parts of the Indian subcontinent and is often seen in gardens within large cities as well as in forested areas. In the past, the orange-billed babbler, Turdoides rufescens, of Sri Lanka was considered to be a race of this babbler, but is elevated to a species.

The jungle babbler’s habitat is forest and cultivation. This species, like most babblers, is non-migratory and has short rounded wings and a weak flight. It is a noisy bird, and the presence of a flock may generally be known at some distance by the harsh mewing calls, continual chattering, squeaking and chirping produced by its members.