Large Grey Babbler

The species is found in small flocks which keep in contact with loud nasal calls. Members of the flock may join in defending against predators. Individuals may also attack their own reflections. They are mostly seen in open scrub country where they forage on or close to the ground. They hop and leap on the ground in search of prey. Individuals in a group may indulge in play behaviour. They feed mainly on insects but also feed on small lizards, molluscs and arachnids. They also feed on seeds, grains and berries. They are found in gardens within some cities such as Pune and Ahmedabad. In other cities such as Bangalore, they are seen only on the outskirts of the expanding urban zone. They are known to breed through the year but mainly during the rainy season from March to September. The usual clutch is four eggs. The nest is a shallow cup placed in a shrub often of thorny species. Their nests are parasitized by the pied cuckoo and the common hawk-cuckoo. It has been suggested that more than one female may lay eggs in a single nest and help in incubation, however this has not been verified. Although secure with a wide distribution, some local populations are threatened by hunting for meat. An endoparasitic cestodes Vogea vestibularis has been described from this species.

Found throughout the Indian subcontinent, south of the Himalayas, east of the Thar desert until Bihar. The species is not found in Kerala and records from the Sind area are not confirmed. It is found mainly in open dry scrub forest and cultivated areas. It is not found in the eastern dry zone of Tamil Nadu, however an exhausted specimen has been observed in Pondicherry.