Yellow-eyed Babbler Chrysomma sinense
Etymology:
- Chrysomma : Greek word khrusos gold; omma eye.
- Sinense : From China
Vernacular Names: Hindi: Bara-podna/pidda, Gotah, Gulab/Bulal-chashm, Sans: Pitta-nayan gupil, Pun: Pili akhi serhari, Guj: Bharati piliankhvalo laledo, Piliankh lelum, Mar: Pivlya dolyacha saatbhai, Chipka, Te: Yerra kali, Yerra kanti jitta, Mal: Manjakkanni chilappan, Sinh: Hambu-kurulla
They belong to the family of old world Babblers and also known as “Gulab Chashma” in North India
Distribution in India: Resident of most parts of India except in some parts of North east and North West
Description: Size of 18–23 cm; wt. of 20–24 g. It is a long-tailed babbler, brown above and creamy below, with short black bill having culmen ridge strongly decurved. The nominate race has crown, ear-coverts and upperparts and tail as rufous-brown, upperwing is brighter. The lores to above eye and extending to nares are white. The cheek, chin, throat and upper breast are white, becoming creamy buff on lower breast, belly and flanks and brownish-buff on lower belly and vent. The iris is yellow to orange-yellow, orbital skin is yellow to orange-yellow; bill is black; legs are deep orange-yellow or ochraceous yellow. Both the sexes are similar. The juvenile has darker eyes, brownish lores, less obvious eyering, creamier lower underparts, paler wings and shorter tail. The races differ mainly in plumage coloration, nominate (North East India in South of River Brahmaputra) being less white than others on breast and belly: hypoleucum ( Most of India except North East) is more sandy-brown with grey tone above, more rufescent on wings, only slightly buff-washed below; saturatius (North East India in North of River Brahmaputra) is darker brown with no rufous tones above, and slightly slaty-tinged brown on crown.
Habitat:They are found in grassy or thorny scrub both in dry and wet regions as well as farmland. They are found mainly on the plains but can be found in the lower hills up to 4000 feet.
Food Habits: They are usually seen in small groups of five to fifteen, especially in the non-breeding season .They feed mainly on insects but take berries as well as nectar.
Breeding Habits: They breed in July-September. The colour of the inside of the mouth is said to turn from orange-brown to black during the breeding season. They appear to nest cooperatively. The nest is a deep cone made with grass and lined with fine fiber. The nest is wedged between upright stems, the vertical stems being incorporated into the wall of the nest. The outside of the nest is well covered in cobwebs. The usual clutch is 3-5 eggs. Both parents take part in incubation and feeding the young. The eggs hatch after about 15–16 days and the young birds fledge after about 2 weeks. To detract the predators from reaching the nest, the adult birds will feign injure or act dead.
Birds roost communally in the center of a bush, all facing in the same direction and sitting side by side. Members of a group will preen each other (Allopreening)