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Mourning babbler facts for kids

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Mourning babbler
Pellorneum malaccense malaccense 190847826 (cropped).jpg
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Genus:
Pellorneum
Species:
malaccense

The mourning babbler (Pellorneum malaccense) is a small bird that lives on the ground. It belongs to the Pellorneidae family, often called "ground babblers." This bird was once known as the "short-tailed babbler."

You can find the mourning babbler in several places in Southeast Asia. These include the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and many smaller islands like the Anambas, Banyak Islands, Batu Islands, Riau Islands, Lingga, and Natuna Islands.

About the Mourning Babbler

The mourning babbler prefers to live in tropical lowland forests. These are warm, wet forests found close to sea level. This bird usually lives alone or in pairs. It does not often join larger groups of different bird species.

What It Eats

Mourning babblers look for food on the ground, among the plants and leaves. They mostly eat insects. Their diet includes things like beetles, grasshoppers, and ants. Like some other babblers, they can hold food with their feet. This is a special skill for a passerine bird, which is a type of perching bird.

Why It's Important

Even though the mourning babbler can be found in many places, it is considered "near-threatened." This means it could become endangered in the future. The main reason for this is habitat loss. Many lowland forests where these birds live are being cut down. This loss of their home makes it harder for them to survive.

Its Name and Family

The mourning babbler was first officially described in 1844. A German bird expert named Gustav Hartlaub gave it its scientific name. He first placed it in a different group of birds called Brachypteryx. Later, it was moved to the Pellorneum group, which was named by an English naturalist, William Swainson, in 1832.

Some birds that were once thought to be the same as the mourning babbler are now considered separate species. These include the glissando babbler (Pellorneum saturatum) and the leaflitter babbler (Pellorneum poliogene). Scientists decided they were different because of their unique calls and genetic makeup. The mourning babbler itself is considered "monotypic." This means there are no different subspecies or types of mourning babblers recognized within its species.

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