Birds Around Me 0034 - Jungle Babbler गयंगा, पेंगिया मैना, सातभाई, जंगली-खैर, घोंगढी, अर्याण्या हहोलिका (Turdoides striata)

Jungle Babbler (गयंगा, पेंगिया मैना, सातभाई, जंगली-खैर, घोंगढी, अर्याण्या हहोलिका ) / Turdoides striata are not so angry bird as it is being portrayed. They are very sociable birds. Earthy brown, frowzled, and untidy-looking bird with a longish tail. It is very similar to Large Grey Babbler (गैगई, घुघोई) - Argya malcolmi but has pale lores, a yellow bill, and a shorter tail without pale outer feathers.

They are always seen in flocks of 5-10 birds,  as Mark Thornbill noted, "they have also a singular habit of always associating in groups of an uneven number, either five or seven. The native has pretty legend accounting for this habit.". Hence they got the name सातभाई (Seven Sisters) in Hindi. 

Jungle Babbler (गयंगा, पेंगिया मैना, सातभाई, जंगली-खैर, घोंगढी, अर्याण्या हहोलिका ) / Turdoides striata inhabit outlying jungle as well-wooded gardens, compounds, and groves of trees in and around the town and villages. The flocks "sisterhoods" spend their time hopping on the ground and rummaging among the fallen leaves for insects. The birds keep up a constant harsh conversational chatter and squeaking. 

The birds appear to be angry, but they are rather anxious or cautious towards intruders. To an outside threat or aggression, the sisterhood presents a solid front; when one member of the flock is under attack the others promptly rally to rescue by attacking the marauder with boldness and determination and much loud swearing, usually putting it to flight.  Although they are sociable among themselves, they occasionally fight with each other. 

They are shrewd and know to be made fun of. Among, themselves they will quarrel and use foul language, but let a stranger treat one of their number with disrespect, and the other six are in arms at once. 

Mark Thornbill also observed and noted that Jungle Babblers rarely, fly, always run, and this they do with outstretched necks and extreme rapidity. Their size, their color, their mode of running, and the sudden way in which they dart out of the bushes give them a most disagreeable resemblance to rats.

Jungle Babbler (गयंगा, पेंगिया मैना, सातभाई, जंगली-खैर, घोंगढी, अर्याण्या हहोलिका ) / Turdoides striata
Jabalpur, India,
April 2022

Scientists and researchers studying the species suggest that their different calls have meaning. The birds are continuously communicating with each other. For example, if the group is foraging, one of the members will sit on the pole or top of a tree and look out for danger but will continuously communicate. They have different calls when the group is ready to fly to the next location and different calls when one of them is under attack. 

Babblers are inordinately fond of the nectar of Slik Cotton and Coal flowers and contribute significantly towards their cross-pollination in their efforts to reach the liquid. The nest is a loosely built cup of twigs and rootlets in the fork of a leafy branch, 3 to 5 meters above the ground. Jungle Babbler nests are commonly parasitized by Pied Crested and Hawk-Cuckoos both of which lay similar blue eggs.

-- Ashutosh Jhureley @BirdsAroundMe

Unfinished List (अपूर्ण सूची) https://birds.rekabira.in/p/this-is-list-of-birds-i-clicked-since.html

References: 

1. Common Birds of India - Salim Ali & Laeeq Futehally

2. Studies in Bird-myths. By Sarat Chandra Mitra