Orange-billed Babbler
Turdoides rufescens
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyLeiothrichidae (Laughingthrushes and Allies)
- GenusTurdoides (Turdoides Babblers)
- SpeciesTurdoides rufescens (Orange-billed Babbler)
The orange-billed babbler (Argya rufescens), also known as Ceylon rufous babbler or Sri Lankan rufous babbler, is a member of the family Leiothrichidae. The orange-billed babbler is a resident breeding bird endemic to Sri Lanka. In the past, it was considered to be a race of jungle babbler, Argya striata. Its habitat is rainforest, and it is rarely seen away from deep jungle. This species, like most babblers, is not migratory, and has short rounded wings and a weak flight. Although its habitat is under threat, it occurs in all the forests of the wet zone, and is quite common at prime sites like Kitulgala and Sinharaja. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Orange-billed Babbler sighting in Horton Plains National Park, based on 62 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Horton Plains National Park
Yellow-billed Babbler
Turdoides affinis
Sri Lanka White-eye
Zosterops ceylonensis
Pied Bushchat
Saxicola caprata
Yellow-eared Bulbul
Pycnonotus penicillatus
Hill Swallow
Hirundo domicola
Dull-blue Flycatcher
Eumyias sordidus
Large-billed Crow
Corvus macrorhynchos
Cinereous Tit
Parus cinereus
Oriental Pipit
Anthus rufulus
Indian Blackbird
Turdus simillimus
Zitting Cisticola
Cisticola juncidis
Sri Lanka Bush-Warbler
Elaphrornis palliseri
📅 Monthly Probability
🌅 When They're Spotted
Most active at dawn and dusk · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sinharaja Forest Reserve | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 2 | Horton Plains National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 3 | Yala National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Orange-billed Babbler in Horton Plains National Park?
About 14% of wildlife watchers report a Orange-billed Babbler sighting in Horton Plains National Park, based on 62 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Orange-billed Babbler in Horton Plains National Park?
July has the highest sighting rate for Orange-billed Babbler in Horton Plains National Park in our monthly data.