long-tailed birds which inhabit reedbeds and similar habitat. They feed mainly on seeds, e.g. of grasses, to which their bill, as the name implies, is well-adapted. Yellow-eyed babbler, manjalkan salamban White-eyes Order: PasseriformesFamily: Zosteropidae The white-eyes are small and mostly undistinguished, their plumage above being generally some dull colour like greenish-olive, but some species have a white or bright yellow throat, breast or lower parts, and several have buff flanks. As their name suggests, many species have a white ring around each eye. Indian white-eye, vellai kanni Babblers and scimitar babblers Order: PasseriformesFamily: Timaliidae The babblers, or timaliids, are somewhat diverse in size and colouration, but are characterised by soft fluffy plumage. Tawny-bellied babbler, venthondai salamban Dark-fronted babbler, karunthalai salamban Pin-striped tit-babbler Indian scimitar babbler, valaindha alagu salamban Ground babblers Order: PasseriformesFamily: Pellorneidae These small to medium-sized songbirds have soft fluffy plumage but are otherwise rather diverse. Members of the genus Illadopsis are found in forests, but some other genera are birds of scrublands Puff-throated babbler Alcippe fulvettas Order: PasseriformesFamily: Alcippeidae The genus once included many other fulvettas and was previously placed in families Pellorneidae or Timaliidae. Brown-cheeked fulvetta, kalakalappan salamban Laughingthrushes & allies Order: PasseriformesFamily: Leiothrichidae The members of this family are diverse in size and colouration, though those of genus Turdoides tend to be brown or greyish. The family is found in Africa, India, and southeast Asia. Nilgiri laughingthrush, nilagiri chirippan Palani laughingthrush Ashambu laughingthrush Large grey babbler, peria sambal salamban Rufous babbler, karunchivappu salamban Jungle babbler, kattu salamban Yellow-billed babblerventhalai salamban Common babbler, thavittu salamban Wayanad laughingthrush, wayanattu chirippan Fairy-bluebirds Order: PasseriformesFamily: Irenidae The fairy-bluebirds are bulbul-like birds of open forest or thorn scrub. The males are dark-blue and the females a duller green. Asian fairy bluebird, neelachittu Nuthatches Order: PasseriformesFamily: Sittidae Nuthatches are small woodland birds. They have the unusual ability to climb down trees head first, unlike other birds which can only go upwards. Nuthatches have big heads, short tails and powerful bills and feet. Velvet-fronted nuthatch, velvet netri pasaiyeduppan Indian nuthatch Chestnut-bellied nuthatch, sembazhuppu vayitru pasaiyeduppan Treecreepers Order: PasseriformesFamily: Certhiidae Treecreepers are small woodland birds, brown above and white below. They have thin pointed down-curved bills, which they use to extricate insects from bark. They have stiff tail feathers, like woodpeckers, which they use to support themselves on vertical trees. Indian spotted creeper Starlings and rhabdornis Order: PasseriformesFamily: Sturnidae Starlings are small to medium-sized