The grey-crowned babbler (Pomatostomus temporalis) is a species of bird in the family Pomatostomidae. They are found in Australia and New Guinea (Indonesia and Papua New Guinea). Its habitats include tropical and subtropical dry broadlife forests, tropical moist lowland forests, shrublands, and savannas.

Taxonomy

Two subspecies are recognized within Australia and New Guinea. Pomatostomus temporalis temporalis – This subspecies occurs within Australia in the states of Victoria, eastern Queensland (including Cape York), New South Wales and south-eastern South Australia. It is a vagrant or accidental visitor to the Australian Capital Territory. It is also the subspecies believed to occur within New Guinea. Pomoatostomus temporalis rubeculus – This subspecies occurs in Australia within the states of Western Australia, Northern Territory, western Queensland and a small area of northern South Australia. The breast color is usually used as the distinguishing morphological character between the subspecies, with a creamy white breast grading to mid-grey in P. t. temporalis and a mid-to deep-rufous brown breast in P. t. rubeculus. Other differences relate to brow coloration, facial bands through the eye, tail length, and overall size. A zone of intergradation occurs between the two subspecies in north-central Queensland.

Naming

A number of alternate names have been provided for the grey-crowned babbler.

Conservation status

Australia

There are numerous lists of threatened fauna from within Australia. The official list of threatened species on the Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 does not consider the grey-crowned babbler (either as a species or subspecies) to be threatened. From other sources, the national status of the grey-crowned babbler varies. The eastern subspecies is increasingly being considered threatened, although not by all:

States of Australia

The conservation status of the grey-crowned babbler varies from state to state within Australia. For example:

Threats

The key process that has led to the decline of the eastern subspecies of the grey-crowned babbler has been the historic loss and fragmentation of its preferred woodland habitat. Grey-crowned babblers generally have a poor ability to migrate across unsuitable habitats. As a consequence of fragmentation, breeding success and group size decline. Babbler groups are more susceptible to stochastic events leading to local extinction. Once a fragment has lost its population of grey-crowned babblers, natural recolonisation rarely occurs because of the species' poor dispersal ability.