Graeme Chapman - natural history photographer - ornithologist

Australian Birds

Hall's Babbler
Also known as: Apostlebird
Pomatostomus halli
(Viewing 4 of 8 photos)

Click to listen to sound samples Although Cunnamulla ornithologist Monty Schrader had known about it for some time, Hall's Babbler wasn't officially recognised as a species distinct from the superficially similar White-browed Babbler until 1963, relatively recently in our ornithological history.

Hall's Babblers are now known to range through the arid acacia woodlands (mainly mulga) of eastern Australia from near Winton and Boulia in Queensland south to near Cobar and Mootwingie National Park in NSW. In some places along the eastern edge of their range they do overlap the distribution of White-browed Babblers, but they occur in different habitats. They also broadly overlap the distribution of the Grey-crowned Babbler, again in different habitats.

It has been traditional to regard Hall's Babbler as closely related to the White-browed but the resemblance is purely superficial. Its real affinities lie with the Grey-crowned Babbler - this is discussed in detail on p. 401 of "The Directory of Australian Birds" by Schodde and Mason.

A great place to see Hall's Babblers is in the little opal mining town of Yowah, west of Cunnamulla. Three species, Hall's, Chestnut-crowned and Grey-crowned can be seen there in the one area. Further north at Idalia National Park near Blackall, Hall's babblers forage around your campsite at the Monk's Tank camping area. At "Bowra" station near Cunnamulla, all four species of babblers have been recorded, albeit in different habitats.


Photo: 938001

938001 ... Hall's Babbler.

Photo: 938002

938002 ... Hall's Babbler

Photo: 938203

938203 ... Dense mulga scrub is the principal habitat.

Photo: 938204

938204 ... They also occur in Gidgee, Acacia cambagei, in western Qld.


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