{{Short description|Species of bird}} {{Speciesbox | name = Grey-crowned babbler | image = Grey-crowned babbler08.JPG | image_caption = ''ssp. temporalis'' | image2 = Grey-crowned Babbler0A2A1375.jpg | image2_caption = ''ssp. rubeculus'' | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2016 |title=''Pomatostomus temporalis'' |volume=2016 |article-number=e.T22704983A93993745 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22704983A93993745.en |access-date=12 November 2021}}</ref> | genus = Pomatostomus | species = temporalis | authority = ([[Nicholas Aylward Vigors|Vigors]] & [[Thomas Horsfield|Horsfield]], 1827) | synonyms = }}
[[File:Grey-crowned Babblers 1605.jpg|thumb|Small flock of grey-crowned babblers (''P. t. temporalis''), New South Wales]] The '''grey-crowned babbler''' ('''''Pomatostomus temporalis''''') is a species of [[bird]] in the family [[Pomatostomidae]]. They are found in [[Australia]] and [[New Guinea]] ([[Indonesia]] and [[Papua New Guinea]]). Its [[habitat]]s include [[Tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests|tropical and subtropical]] dry broadlife forests, [[Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests|tropical moist]] lowland forests, [[shrubland]]s, and [[savanna]]s.<ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021"/>
==Taxonomy== Two subspecies are recognized within Australia<ref name="CSIROlist">{{cite book | author = Clayton, M. | author2 = Wombey, J. C. | author3 = Mason, I. J. | author4 = Chesser, R. T. | author5 = Wells, A. | name-list-style = amp | title = CSIRO List of Australian Vertebrates: A reference with conservation status. 2nd Edition | publisher = CSIRO Publishing | year = 2006 | location = Collingwood, Victoria | page = 162 | isbn = 0-643-09075-4 }}</ref><ref name="S&M1999">{{cite book | author = Schodde, R. | author-link = Richard Schodde | author2 = Mason, I. J. | author2-link = Ian J. Mason | name-list-style = amp | title = The Directory of Australian Birds: Passerines | publisher = CSIRO Publishing | year = 1999 | location = Collingwood, Victoria | page = 851 | isbn = 0-643-06456-7 }}</ref> and New Guinea.<ref name="S&M1999"/>
'''''Pomatostomus temporalis temporalis''''' – This subspecies occurs within Australia in the states of Victoria, eastern Queensland (including Cape York), New South Wales and south-eastern South Australia.<ref name="CSIROlist"/><ref name="S&M1999"/> It is a vagrant or accidental visitor to the Australian Capital Territory.<ref name="CSIROlist"/> It is also the subspecies believed to occur within New Guinea.<ref name ="S&M1999"/>
'''''Pomoatostomus temporalis rubeculus''''' – This subspecies occurs in Australia within the states of Western Australia, Northern Territory, western Queensland and a small area of northern South Australia.<ref name="CSIROlist"/><ref name ="S&M1999"/>
The breast color is usually used as the distinguishing morphological character between the subspecies, with a creamy white breast grading to mid-grey in ''P. t. temporalis'' and a mid-to deep-rufous brown breast in ''P. t. rubeculus''.<ref name ="S&M1999"/> Other differences relate to brow coloration, facial bands through the eye, tail length, and overall size.<ref name ="S&M1999"/> A zone of intergradation occurs between the two subspecies in north-central Queensland.<ref name ="S&M1999"/>
==Naming== A number of alternate names have been provided for the grey-crowned babbler. *Yahoo – This popular alternate name is based on the distinctive call of the grey-crowned babbler. The source of this name is unclear.<ref name="Names1987">{{cite book | author = MacDonald, J. D. | title = The Illustrated Dictionary of Australian Birds by Common Name | publisher = Reed Books | year = 1987 | location = French's Forest, NSW | page = 207 | isbn = 0-7301-0184-3}}</ref> * '''Grey-crowned chatterer''' – Name given by A. J. North<ref name = "Names1987"/> * '''Happy-jack''' – Popular name, quoted by A. J. North and others, relating to the species habit of moving about in 'talkative' family groups.<ref name = "Names1987"/> Source of this name is not known.<ref name = "Names1987"/> * '''Dog-bird, barker, barking-bird''' – Popular names whose sources are not known. Presumably named due to cackling soft ''tuk'' note.<ref name = "Names1987"/>
==Conservation status==
===Australia=== There are numerous lists of threatened fauna from within Australia. The official list of threatened species on the Australian [[Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999]] does not consider the grey-crowned babbler (either as a species or subspecies) to be threatened.
From other sources, the national status of the grey-crowned babbler varies. The eastern subspecies is increasingly being considered threatened, although not by all: * The ''Directory of Australian Birds'' considers both subspecies of the grey-crowned babbler to be secure.<ref name ="S&M1999"/> * The ''Action Plan for Australian Birds 2000'' considers the eastern subspecies (''P. t. temporalis'') to be near-threatened.<ref name="AP2000">{{cite book |author1=Garnett, S. T. |author2=Crowley, G. M. | title = The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2000 | publisher = Environment Australia | year = 2000 | location = Canberra, ACT | page = 673 | isbn = 0-642-54683-5 }}</ref> Within this document, this subspecies was considered to be near-threatened using criteria 'a' of Maxwell et al. (1996). That is, this subspecies has disappeared from over 50% of its former area of occupancy and/or extent of occurrence and are at risk of further decline. Although there has been little evident change at the northern edge of its range, the subspecies has been declining noticeably in the southern half of its range<ref name = "AP2000"/> * The ''Action Plan for Australian Birds 2000'' considers the north-western subspecies (''P. t. rubeculus'') to be of least concern.<ref name = "AP2000"/> [[File:Grey-crowned Babbler 3488.jpg|thumb|Grey-crowned babbler at Katherine, Northern Territory]]
===States of Australia=== The conservation status of the grey-crowned babbler varies from state to state within Australia. For example: * The grey-crowned babbler is listed as threatened on the Victorian [[Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act (1988)]].<ref>[http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/DSE/nrenpa.nsf/LinkView/EADA0F1874AF9CF24A2567C1001020A388BBA5581CF9D859CA256BB300271BDB ''List of threatened species on the FFG Act, Department of Sustainability and Environment, Victoria''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050718182613/http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/DSE/nrenpa.nsf/LinkView/EADA0F1874AF9CF24A2567C1001020A388BBA5581CF9D859CA256BB300271BDB |date=2005-07-18 }}</ref> Under this Act, an ''Action Statement'' for the recovery and future management of this species has been prepared.<ref>[http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/DSE/nrenpa.nsf/LinkView/617768308BCB666E4A25684E00192281E7A24BB36FF60A144A256DEA00244294 ''List of prepared Action Statements, Department of Sustainability and Environment, State of Victoria''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060911130015/http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/DSE/nrenpa.nsf/LinkView/617768308BCB666E4A25684E00192281E7A24BB36FF60A144A256DEA00244294 |date=2006-09-11 }}</ref> On the 2007 advisory list of threatened vertebrate fauna in Victoria, the grey-crowned babbler is listed as endangered.<ref name="DSE200">{{cite book | author = Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment | title = Advisory List of Threatened Vertebrate Fauna in Victoria – 2007 | publisher = Department of Sustainability and Environment | year = 2007 | location = East Melbourne, Victoria | page = 15 | isbn = 978-1-74208-039-0 }}</ref> * The eastern subspecies of the grey-crowned babbler (''P. t. temporalis'') is listed as vulnerable on the NSW ''Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.threatenedspecies.environment.nsw.gov.au/tsprofile/profile.aspx?id=10660 |title=Grey-crowned Babbler Species Profile, Department of Conservation and Environment, State of NSW |access-date=2007-10-20 |archive-date=2007-09-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070906195126/http://www.threatenedspecies.environment.nsw.gov.au/tsprofile/profile.aspx?id=10660 }}</ref> This is the only subspecies occurring within NSW. * The grey-crowned babbler is listed on schedule 9 (rare species) of the South Australian ''[[National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972]]''.<ref>[http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/sa/consol_act/npawa1972247/sch9.html Fauna on Schedule 9 of ''National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972'', State of South Australia]</ref> * The grey-crowned babbler is not listed as a threatened species on the Western Australian ''Wildlife Conservation Act 1953''.<ref>[http://www.naturebase.net/content/view/282/1209/ Listing of threatened species and communities, Department of Environment and Conservation, State of Western Australia]</ref> * The grey-crowned babbler is listed as least conservation on the Queensland ''Nature Conservation Act 1992''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/nature_conservation/wildlife/threatened_plants_and_animals/ |title=Threatened plants and Animals, Parks and Wildlife Service, State of Queensland |access-date=2007-10-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071029201314/http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/nature_conservation/wildlife/threatened_plants_and_animals/ |archive-date=2007-10-29 }}</ref>
===Threats=== The key process that has led to the decline of the eastern subspecies of the grey-crowned babbler has been the historic [[habitat loss|loss]] and [[habitat fragmentation|fragmentation]] of its preferred woodland habitat.<ref name = "AP2000"/> Grey-crowned babblers generally have a poor ability to migrate across unsuitable habitats. As a consequence of fragmentation, breeding success and group size decline. Babbler groups are more susceptible to stochastic events leading to local extinction. Once a fragment has lost its population of grey-crowned babblers, natural recolonisation rarely occurs because of the species' poor dispersal ability.<ref name = "AP2000"/>
[[File:Grey-crowned Babbler96.ogg|thumb|left|Rush Creek, SE Queensland]] {{Clear}}
==References== {{Reflist|30em}} * Maxwell, S., Burbridge, A. A. and Morris, K. (eds). 1996, ''The 1996 Action Plan for Australian Marsupials and Monotremes.'' Environment Australia, Canberra.
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[[Category:Pomatostomus|grey-crowned babbler]] [[Category:Birds of Australia]] [[Category:Birds of southern New Guinea]] [[Category:Least concern biota of Oceania]] [[Category:Birds described in 1827|grey-crowned babbler]] [[Category:Articles containing video clips]] [[Category:Taxa named by Nicholas Aylward Vigors]] [[Category:Taxa named by Thomas Horsfield]] [[Category:Taxonomy articles created by Polbot]]