Orange-billed Babbler

Orange-billed Babbler

Turdoides rufescens

60–70% · Likely
overall probability at Sinharaja Forest Reserve
983 Verified records at Sinharaja Forest Reserve
October Best month highest sighting rate
🌅 Crepuscular When it's active at dawn and dusk

The orange-billed babbler (Argya rufescens), also known as Ceylon rufous babbler or Sri Lankan rufous babbler, is a member of the family Leiothrichidae. The orange-billed babbler is a resident breeding bird endemic to Sri Lanka. In the past, it was considered to be a race of jungle babbler, Argya striata. Its habitat is rainforest, and it is rarely seen away from deep jungle. This species, like most babblers, is not migratory, and has short rounded wings and a weak flight. Although its habitat is under threat, it occurs in all the forests of the wet zone, and is quite common at prime sites like Kitulgala and Sinharaja. Wikipedia →

60–70% of wildlife watchers report a Orange-billed Babbler sighting in Sinharaja Forest Reserve, based on 983 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Sinharaja Forest Reserve

Yellow-billed Babbler

Yellow-billed Babbler

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Turdoides affinis

30–40% · Possible
Ashy-headed Laughingthrush

Ashy-headed Laughingthrush

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Garrulax cinereifrons

40–50% · Possible
Square-tailed Bulbul
LC Endemic

Square-tailed Bulbul

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Hypsipetes ganeesa

70–80% · Very likely
Sri Lanka Drongo
LC

Sri Lanka Drongo

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Dicrurus lophorinus

60–70% · Likely
White-bellied Drongo
LC Endemic

White-bellied Drongo

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Dicrurus caerulescens

60–70% · Likely
Orange Minivet
LC

Orange Minivet

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Pericrocotus flammeus

60–70% · Likely
Black-capped Bulbul

Black-capped Bulbul

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Pycnonotus melanicterus

50–60% · Likely
Ceylon Magpie
VU

Ceylon Magpie

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Urocissa ornata

50–60% · Likely
Pale-billed Flowerpecker
LC Endemic

Pale-billed Flowerpecker

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Dicaeum erythrorhynchos

50–60% · Likely
Ceylon Myna
NT

Ceylon Myna

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Gracula ptilogenys

50–60% · Likely
Purple-rumped Sunbird
LC

Purple-rumped Sunbird

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Leptocoma zeylonica

50–60% · Likely
Spot-winged Thrush
NT

Spot-winged Thrush

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Geokichla spiloptera

50–60% · Likely

📅 Monthly Probability

60–70
Jan
60–70
Feb
60–70
Mar
70–80
Apr
60–70
May
60–70
Jun
50–60
Jul
60–70
Aug
70–80
Sep
70–80
Oct
60–70
Nov
70–80
Dec

🌅 When They're Spotted

Most active at dawn and dusk · across all parks (global)

🌅Crepuscular
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Sinharaja Forest Reserve 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
60–70%
2 Horton Plains National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
10–20%
3 Yala National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Orange-billed Babbler in Sinharaja Forest Reserve?

About 68% of wildlife watchers report a Orange-billed Babbler sighting in Sinharaja Forest Reserve, based on 983 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Orange-billed Babbler in Sinharaja Forest Reserve?

October has the highest sighting rate for Orange-billed Babbler in Sinharaja Forest Reserve in our monthly data.

← Back to Sinharaja Forest Reserve