Hall's babbler

Hall's babbler (Pomatostomus halli) is a small species of bird in the family Pomatostomidae most commonly found in dry Acacia scrubland in interior regions of eastern Australia.

Juveniles are distinguishable from adults for only a short time after fledging, when they have a shorter all-black and less curved bill and conspicuous yellow rictal flange and palate.

The chestnut-crowned babbler (Pomatostomus ruficeps) has a distinctive chestnut crown, thinner eyebrows, and white tips to the wing coverts; it also lacks a sharp demarcation between the breast and belly.

The considerably larger grey-crowned babbler (Pomatostomus temporalis) also has thick white eyebrows, but a distinctive grey crown and a large rufous patch in the spread wing.

Hall's babbler is found in semi-arid and arid regions of eastern Australia and prefers tall Acacia-dominated shrub lands, usually mulga (Acacia aneura).

It has been sighted as far north as Winton and Boulia, as far west as McGregor and Grey Ranges, and south to Mootwingee and Brewarrina and east to Longreach – Idalia National Park – Cunnamulla.