The Jungle Babbler is found in South Asia. They are gregarious birds that forage in small groups of six to ten birds.
The Jungle Babbler is a common resident breeding bird in most parts of the Indian Subcontinent and is often seen in gardens within large cities as well as in forested areas. In the past, the Orange-billed Babbler of Sri Lanka was considered to be a subspecies of this babbler, but is elevated to a species.
The Jungle Babbler's habitat is forest and cultivation. This species, like most babblers, is non-migratory, and has short rounded wings and a weak flight. The male and female are identical, drably coloured in brownish grey with a yellow-bill making them confusable only with the endemic White-headed Babblers of peninsular India and Sri Lanka. The upperparts are usually slightly darker in shade and there is some mottling on the throat and breast.
The Jungle Babbler lives in flocks of seven to ten or more. It is a noisy bird, and the presence of a flock may generally be known at some distance by the harsh mewing calls, continual chattering, squeaking and chirping produced by its members.