A babbler with potential

GARY BRALSFORD likes the look of a Turdoides species that has recently become available among softbill enthusiasts in this country, and shares some other of his month’s highlights

- GARY BRALSFORD

BY THE time you read this, we will have had the 100% Softbill Show in Suffolk. I hope it will have been well supported. A show of this type has been needed for a long time. The shows at Stafford and Newark are OK for meeting friends and catching up, but softbill species there seem to be getting fewer by the year.

By contrast, the big softbill show in Holland (Bird Experience Oirschot) is always well supported and a great window into these fantastic species. At this event the showcases are full of plants and features to present the birds at their best.

An unusual species of babbler has been added to my friend’s collection down in Bristol: the capuchin babbler (Turdoides atripennis). These I have seen a few times over the years at well-known dealers in the Midlands. I always thought they were quite noisy birds and would annoy neighbours, but in fact they are not bad at all.