Jungle babblers (Argya striata) are gregarious birds, members of the laughingthrushes family. Jungle babblers often forage in small groups of 6 to 10 individuals, and this habit has given them the popular name of "Seven Sisters" in urban Northern India, and Saath bhai (seven brothers) in Bengali, with cognates in other regional languages which also mean "seven brothers".
Jungle babblers are drably coloured in brownish grey with a yellow bill. The upper parts are usually slightly darker in shade and there is some mottling on the throat and breast. The race T. s. somervillei of Maharashtra has a very rufous tail and dark primary flight feathers.
Jungle babblers are found in the Indian subcontinent. They do not migrate and live year-round in forests in most parts of the Indian subcontinent and are often seen in gardens within large cities as well as in forested areas.
Jungle babblers are diurnal and very social birds. They live in flocks of 7 to 10 individuals or more. They are noisy, and the presence of a flock may be heard at some distance by the harsh mewing calls, continual chattering, squeaking, and chirping produced by its members. They sometimes form the core of a mixed-species foraging flock. When foraging, some birds take up a high vantage point and act as sentinels. They may also gather and mob potential predators such as snakes. The groups maintain territories and will defend them against neighbors, which are nevertheless sometimes tolerated. Birds within a group often indulge in allopreening, play chases, and mock fights. When threatened by predators, JUngle babblers have been said to sometimes feign death.
Jungle babblers are carnivores (insectivores) and herbivores (granivores, frugivores, nectarivores). They feed mainly on insects but also eat grains, nectar, and berries.
Jungle babblers breed throughout the year, with peak breeding in northern India being noted between March-April and July-September. Jungle babblers build their nest halfway up in a tree, concealed in dense masses of foliage. The female typically lays a clutch of 3-4 (but can be up to 7) deep greenish-blue eggs. Helpers assist the parents in feeding the young. When the chicks fledge young females tend to leave their natal group after about 2 years. Jungle babblers become reproductively mature and start to breed after their third year of life.
There are no major threats to this species at present.
According to the IUCN Red List, the Jungle babbler is common throughout its range but no overall population estimate is available. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
