This is only the second time I’ve seen a Chestnut-crowned Babbler. These birds were in a dry creek bed at Bendleby Ranges, South Australia. They were very busy gathering material for their nests, babbling away to each other at the same time:

Here’s one of the birds that stayed still long enough for me to snap a photo. It’s beak is open in mid-babble:

Common name: Chestnut-crowned Babbler
Scientific name: Pomatostomus ruficeps
Approximate length: 21-23 cm
Date spotted: 11 September 2026 (spring)
Location: Bendleby Ranges in the Flinders Ranges, South Australia: 32°21’13.7″S 138°47’34.8″E

In the Living Desert State Park near Broken Hill, NSW. Apologies for the fuzzy photos! I was far away and not sure what I was looking at. It’s exciting to see these Chestnut-crowned Babblers. They’re super pretty, and they’re found in a relatively small area of the world. They’re considered to be generally uncommon.

Here’s one of the birds on the ground. You can see it’s red cap, the white line above its eye, and its white chest:

Here are three of them in a bush:

Common name: Chestnut-crowned Babbler
Scientific name: Pomatostomus ruficeps
Approximate length: 21-23 cm
Date spotted: 21 July 2026 (winter)
Location: Living Desert State Park near Broken Hill, NSW, Australia: 31°54’03.2″S 141°26’23.1″E