About Turdoides reinwardtii (Swainson, 1831)
The blackcap babbler, with the scientific name Turdoides reinwardtii, is a member of the bird family Leiothrichidae. It is a common resident breeding bird in western Africa, ranging from Senegal to Cameroon. This species inhabits thick scrub and forest. Like most babblers, blackcap babblers are non-migratory, have short rounded wings, and are capable of only weak flight. The bird builds a cup-shaped nest in a tree, hidden inside dense foliage clusters. It typically lays a clutch of two or three eggs per breeding attempt. Blackcap babblers have dark grey-brown feathers on their upperparts. Their heads are brownish black, they have a white throat and a noticeable white eye ring. Their underparts are white, with mottling on the breast and buff-colored flanks. This species lives in flocks of four to twelve or more individuals, and flock members cooperate to raise young communally. Blackcap babblers are noisy birds, and a flock can often be detected from some distance away by the constant chattering, squeaking, and chirping its members produce. The species' main call sounds like cha-ka-ta. Blackcap babblers feed mainly on insects, and will also eat fruit. The species' binomial name honors botanist Caspar Georg Carl Reinwardt.
