Arabian Babbler

Tweet of the Day is the voice of birds and our relationship with them, from around the world.

Chris Packham presents the Arabian babbler of a Yemeni Desert. Arabian babblers could almost be described as feathered meerkats. They're sociable, charismatic and always on the alert. These energetic and curious birds are found around the Arabian peninsula and in Egypt, often in dry scrubby places. They have long tails, curved bills and a bounding gait, and their sandy plumage is superb camouflage against the parched ground where they roam in search of insects and seeds. If on their travels, a group of babblers discovers a snake they will mob it with loud shrieks, raising their wings and calling to each other until they see it off. Arabian babblers don't use their social skills just to chase away predators. They spend all their time in groups of usually four to six adult birds and in these groups their relationships are fluid. They are also co-operative breeders and help each other to rear their chicks, a communal way of life that helps to forge bonds between these very vocal birds.