Jungle Babbler Turdoides striata , kattu silamban is an Old World Babbler which is a large family of Old World passerine birds characterised by soft fluffy plumage. In Tamil they are fondly called thavittu kuruvi, as their color syncs with the rice husk, often seen sunbathing and rolling in the dust. They are birds of tropical areas, with the greatest variety in southeast Asia.
Jungle Babbler’s habitat is forest and cultivation It is a common sight in Indian forests and urban cities. It builds its nest in a tree, concealed in dense masses of foliage. This species, like most babblers, is not migratory, has short rounded wings and a weak flight
It is seen near the trees all over the school, they also hop around the front fence on the creepers feeding mainly on insects, nectar and berries. They are often found feeding on the grains laid out in the sun. These birds are gregarious and move in little groups of 6 to 10 and hence they are also called seven sisters. Sometimes they form the core of a mixed-species foraging flock and are a noisy group with harsh wheezy note ,a social and common sight in the campus.
The groups maintain territories and will defend it against neighbours but will sometimes tolerate them. For their size, they are long lived and have been noted to live as long as 16.5 years in captivity.
