The Old World babblers are a large family, rather diverse in size and coloration. They are characterised by soft fluffy plumage. These are birds of tropical areas, with the greatest variety in southeast Asia. The timaliids are one of two unrelated groups of birds known as babblers, the other being the Australasian Babblers of the family Pomatostomidae (also known as pseudo-babblers). Morphological diversity is rather high; most species resemble "warblers", jays or thrushes.

Timaliids are small to medium birds, ranging in size from 9 cm to 36 cm. They have strong legs, and many are quite terrestrial. They typically have generalized bills, similar to those of a thrush or warbler. Most have predominantly brown plumage, with minimal difference between the sexes, but many more brightly coloured species also exist. This group is not strongly migratory, and most species have short rounded wings, and a weak flight. They live in lightly wooded or scrubland environments, ranging from swamp to near-desert. They are primarily insectivorous, although many will also take berries, and the larger species will even eat small lizards and other vertebrates.

Typical babblers live in communities of around a dozen birds, jointly defending a territory. Many even breed communally, with a dominant pair building a nest, and the remainder helping to defend and rear their young. Young males remain with the group, while females move away to find a new group, and thus avoid inbreeding. They make nests from twigs, and hide them in dense vegetation.[1]

[Abstracted from Wikipedia]


Genus Actinodura

Barwing, Spectacled  Actinodura ramsayi  Found: Asia
Photographed by JJ Harrison in Chiang Mai Thailand


Barwing, Taiwan  Actinodura morrisoniana  Found: China, Taiwan
Photographed by:  1, 2, 3) Hiyashi Haka  4) Robert tdc 



Genus Alcippe

Babbler, Gould's Nun aka Dusky Fulvetta  Alcippe brunnea   Found: Asia
Photographed by: Kevin Lin


Fulvetta, Grey-cheeked  Alcippe morrisonia  Found: Asia
Photographed by: 1,  2,  3) Robert Tdc 4  ) Alnus



Genus Chrysominla - 1 species

Mania, Chestnut-tailed  Chrysominla strigula  Found: Asia
Photographed by: JJ Harrison in Chiang Mai. Thailand



Genus Dryonastes

Laughingthrush, Blue-crowned  Dryonastes courtoisi aka Garrulax courtoisi Found: Asia
Photographed by: 1, 2) Trisha Shears - the Cincinnati Zoo



Genus Gampsorhynchus - 1 species

Babbler, White-hooded  Gampsorhynchus rufulus  Found: Asia
Photographed by: 1, 2) Darren Bellerby - Edward Youde Aviary, Hong Kong



Genus Garrulax

Laughingthrush, Black-throated  Garrulax chinensis  Found: Asia
Photographed by: 1, 3) Charles Lam  2) Darren Bellerby - Hong Kong Park, Hong Kong


Laughingthrush, Greater Necklaced Garrulax pectoralis Found: Asia
Photographed by Charles Lam


Laughingthrush, Lesser Necklaced  Garrulax monileger  Found: Asia
Photographed by: JJ Harrison in Thailand


Laughingthrush, Kerala aka Grey-breasted Laughingthrush  Garrulax fairbanki  Found: Asia
gopalarathnam 2) Keulemans Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal


Laughingthrush, Masked  Garrulax perspicillatus  Found: Asia
Photographed by: 1, 2) Charles Lam


Laughingthrush, Rufous-vented  Garrulax gularis  Found: Asia
Drawn by: John Gould in Birds of Asia


Laughingthrush, Streaked  Garrulax lineatus  Found: Asia
Photographed by: 1) Yogendra Joshi in the foothills of himalaya in Kausani, Uttarakhand state, India
    2, 3) J M Garg in Himachal Pradesh, India


Laughingthrush, Yellow-throated  Garrulax galbanus  Found: Asia
Drawn by: John Gould in Birds of Asia


Laughingthrush, White-crested  Garrulax leucolophus  Found: Asia
Photographed by: Robert Lawton - the St. Louis Zoo


Laughingthrush, White-whiskered  Garrulax morrisonianus  Found: Asia
Photographed by: 1, 2, 3) Hiyashi Haka



Genus Heterophasia

Sibia, Dark-backed  Heterophasia melanoleuca  Found: Asia
Photographed by: 1, 2) JJ Harrison in Chiang Mai, Thailand


Sibia, Long-tailed  Heterophasia picaoides  Found: Asia
Photographed by: 1) Francesco Veronesi  2) Kevin LIn - Malaysia


Sibia, Rufous  Heterophasia capistrata  Found:  Asia
Photographed by: 1, 2, 3, 4) DIck Daniels in the mountains of Nepal
Identified by Charlie Westerinen


Sibia, White-eared  Heterophasia auricularis  Found: China and Taiwan
Photographed by: 1, 2) Hiyashi Haka  3) Andy Li



Genus Illadopsis

Illadopsis, Brown Illadopsis fulvescens   Found: Africa
Photographed by Dick Daniels in Tanzania



Genus Leiothrix

Leiothrix, Red-billed aka Peking Robin Leiothrix lutea  Found: Asia, Hawaii (introduced)
Photographed by: 1, 2) Sandy Cole Sandy Cole - the North Carolina Zoo   3, 4) Dick Daniels - the North Carolina Zoo


Mesia, Silver-eared  Leiothrix argentauris  Found: Asia
Photographed by: 1) Marc Haisenko - Munich's Tierpark (Zoo) Hellabrunn  2) JJ Harrison - NakhonSawan,Thailand



Genus Leucodioptron

Hwamei, Chinese  Leucodioptron canorum  Found: Asia
Photographed by: 1, 2)  Hiyashi Haka


Hwamei, Taiwan  Leucodioptron taewanum   Endemic to Taiwan
Photo needed

Laughingthrush, Melodious  Leucodioptron canorum  formerly Garrulax canorusFound: eastern Asia
Photographed by Charles Lam



Genus Liocichla

Babbler, Steere's aka Steere's Liocichla  Liocichla steerii  Endemic to Taiwan
Photographed by:  1) Hiyashi Haka 


Liocichial, Red-faced  Liocichla phoenicea  Found: Asia
Photographed by: 1, 2) JJ Harrison in Chiang Mai, Thailand



Genus Macronus
The Tit-babblers

Babbler, Striped Tit-  Macronus gularis  Found: south and southeast Asia
Photographed by JJ Harrison in Thailand



Genus Pnoepyga

Babbler, Pygmy Wren-  Pnoepyga pusilla   Found: Asia
Photographed by: 1, 2) Hiyashi Haka
3) Juvenile



Genus Pomatorhinus

Babbler, Spot-breasted Scimitar- Pomatorhinus mcclellandi Found: Asia
Photo needed

Babbler, Streak-breasted Scimitar-  Pomatorhinus ruficollis Found: Asia 
Photographed by: 1, 2) Afi Chen


Babbler, Taiwan Scimitar   Pomatorhinus (ruficollis) musicus   Found: Taiwan Photographed by: Hiyashi Haka


Babbler, White-browed Scimitar-  Pomatorhinus schisticeps Found: Asia
Photographed by JJ Harrison in Thailand

 

Genus Pteruthius
The Shrike-babblers

Babbler, Chestnut-fronted Shrike-  Pteruthius aenobarbus  Found: Asia
Photographed by: Lip Kee Yap - Cibodas, Java, Indonesia



Genus Rhinocichla

Laughingthrush, Spectacled formerly Chestnut-capped Laughtingthrush  Rhinocichla mitrata aka Garrulax mitratus Found: Asia
Photographed by: NatureAtYourBackyard



Genus Siva - 1 species

Minla, Blue-winged aka Blue-winged Siva  Siva cyanouroptera  Found: Asia
Photographed by: Dr Caesar



Genus Stachyridopsis

Babbler, Rufous-capped  aka Red-headed Babbler  Stachyridopsis ruficeps aka Stachyris ruficeps  Found: Asia
Photographed by: 1, 3)  Hiyashi Haka  2) Alnus



Genus Trochalopteron

Laughingthrush, Rufous-breasted  Trochalopteron cachinnans  Found:  Asia
Photographed by: D. Momaya



Genus Turdoides

Babbler, Arrow-marked  Turdoides jardineii  Found: Africa 
Photographed by: 1) Alan Manson - South Africa 2) Charlie Westerinen - Zimbabwe


Babbler, Blackcap  Turdoides reinwardtii   Found: Africa
Photo needed

Babbler, Black-faced aka Black-lored Babbler  Turdoides melanops  Found: Africa
Photographed by:  1) Darren Bellerby- Sunbird Lodge, Lake Elementatia, Kenya 
    2, 3) Dick Daniels - Tanzania. Identified by Paul Tavares.


Babbler, Jungle  Turdoides striatus  Found: Asia
Photographed by: J M Garg - India



Genus Yuhina

Yuhina, Taiwan  Yuhina brunneiceps  Endemic to Taiwan
Photographed by:  1) Robert tdc  2, 3) Hiyashi Haka






Genus Pomatostomus


Babbler, Chestnut-crowned  Pomatostomus ruficeps  Found: Australia
Photographed by: 1) David Cook  2) Aviceda - Bowra, SW Queensland, Australia


Babbler, Grey-crowned  Pomatostomus temporali  Found: Australia
Photographed by: 1) Aviceda - Samford , SE Queensland, Australia  2, 3) David Cook - Leeton, NSW, Australia


Babbler, Hall's  Pomatostomus halli  Found: Australia
Photographed by: 1, 2) David Cook - Bowra Station, via Cunnamulla, Queensland


Babbler, White-browed  Pomatostomus superciliosus  Found: Australia
Photographed by: 1, 2, 3) David Cook - Benambra National Park, via Holbrook, NSW, Australia