Rufous-eared Warbler
Malcorus pectoralis
A long-tailed, pale prinia-like warbler with a rufous facial patch on the side of the head and a neat black band across the throat on otherwise white underparts. The juvenile may lack the throat band and have duller facial patches. Singles and pairs avoid trees, preferring arid open shrubland on sparsely vegetated plains, where they forage on low shrubs, sometimes hopping between bushes on the ground with the tail cocked. The species sings a distinctive high-pitched shrill “tzeee” note 6-20 times in rapid succession, often betraying its presence.
Identification
The rufous-eared warbler is a small passerine bird that gets its name from its distinct rufous-coloured ear-patches. The head and rear of the neck are brown and streaked with dark red while the belly and neck are greyish white, with a variable black breast-band that is absent from adults during winter. The mantle and back are mottled with greyish brown and blackish brown. The eyes are described as reddish hazel, with pinkish legs and a black bill measuring 11–13 mm. The tail is long and thin, and is often held upright over the body. The tail is made up of a total of 10 paired tail feathers, with the outer feathers up to 5.6 cm shorter than the central tail feathers. The birds are small, measuring around 15 cm in length with males weighing 10-12 g and females weighing 9-11 g.<p>Although the sexes are similar in appearance the rufous-eared warblers are one of the few species of the family Cisticolidae that display sexual dimorphism, with female birds having paler ear-patches and a narrower breast-band than the males. Juveniles are paler, with a whiter belly and a narrower or absent breast-band. The subspecies M. p. ocularis is paler in colour, with a more tawny face and whiter under parts. M. p etoshae is even paler than M. p. ocularis, with wing-edges yellowish.
Taxonomy
The rufous-eared warbler was first described by Andrew Smith in 1829. It belongs to the genus Malcorus, a monotypic genus that occurs in the arid zones of western southern Africa.<p>The taxonomy of the rufous-eared warbler has been debated, with it sometimes being grouped with crombecs, the grassbirds or the prinias. It has most recently been grouped within the family Cisticolidae. It had previously been placed in the genus Prinia, but has since been placed in its own genus due to morphological, behavioural and genetic differences. Its closest relatives are a group of other monotypic warblers, including the black-faced rufous warbler (Bathmocercus rufus), the Socotra warbler (Incana incana), the oriole warbler (Hypergerus atriceps), the grey-capped warbler (Eminia lepida), Winifred's warbler (also known as Mrs Moreau's warbler, Scepomycter winifredae) and the cinnamon-breasted warbler (Euryptila subcinnamomea).<p>The rufous-eared warbler is also known as the rufous-eared prinia and the rooioorlangstertjie (Afrikaans).<p>There are three recognised subspecies of rufous-eared warbler: M. p. pectoralis, M. p. ocularius and M. p. etoshae. The nominate sub-species, M. p. pectoralis occurs in the southern reaches of the species distribution range in South Africa. Smith later described the subspecies M. p. ocularis in 1843, occurring in southern Namibia, southern Botswana and in the northern regions of the South African distribution. In 1965 a third subspecies, M. p. etoshae, was described by Winterbottom, occurring in northern Namibia.
- Scientific name
- Malcorus pectoralis
- Authority
- Smith, A, 1829
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Cisticolidae
- Genus
- Malcorus
Range and habitat
The rufous-eared warbler has a widespread distribution in southern Africa, where it is endemic. Although the global population size is not currently known, the bird is listed as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List due to its large range. It is native to Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. It is an arid-zone bird, occurring in arid and semi-arid areas with scrubby bushes and open grassland interspersed with bushy vegetation on plains and slopes. It is absent from Acacia karoo woodland and from the Namib desert, but it does occur along the edges of the Namib desert in shrubs and drainage lines. It favours low scrub Karoo habitats.<p>The rufous-eared warbler is generally a resident bird, but will occasionally move following rainfall events. Populations in arid areas do not show large fluctuations during periods of low rainfall or drought, which indicates that they will generally opt to stay in one area rather move during adverse conditions.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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