Yellow-throated Longclaw
Macronyx croceus
A large pipit-like bird with golden-yellow underparts and eyebrow, and a circular broad black necklace emphasizing the yellow throat. The upperparts are subdued streaky brown and the outer tail corners are white, which is a key feature in flight. Pairs occupy grassland and grassy savanna, especially close to water, or when it is flooded. The species often perches up to sing a strongly whistled “chuuu-ew” and variations thereof. The smaller Fülleborn's Longclaw differs from Yellow-throated Longclaw by lacking any streaking on the breast below the black necklace.
Identification
The yellow-throated longclaw (Macronyx croceus) is a species of bird in the family Motacillidae.
Taxonomy
Genus: Macronyx; Family: Motacillidae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Macronyx croceus
- Authority
- (Vieillot, 1816)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Motacillidae
- Genus
- Macronyx
Range and habitat
It is found in Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Its natural habitats are dry savanna, subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland, and sandy shores.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Wilson's Indigobird
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A nest parasite that lays its eggs in the nests of Bar-breasted Firefinch. Breeding males are glossy purplish-black with a pale brownish panel in the wings, while females and non-breeding males are brown and streaky on the back and pale below, with a bold facial pattern. The bill is white and the legs pinkish. Found in a wide variety of open habitats including open woodland, thickets, savanna, cultivated areas, and scrub. Breeding males can be identified with care by their vocalizations and purple gloss. Non-breeding males and females cannot be separated visually from other indigobirds. Imitates the vocalizations of its host firefinches: a low “chip” call and an up-and-down twittering song.
Fish Crow
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A relatively small, glossy crow. Very difficult to separate from American Crow by appearance; look for Fish Crow’s slightly more tapered wings, quicker wingbeats, and shorter legs. Most easily identified by voice, a nasal “eh-uh” or single nasal caws. Mostly restricted to the southeastern U.S., especially along the coast, but range expanding slightly northward and inland in recent years. Often near water, but also seems especially fond of fast-food parking lots and dumpsters.
Rusty-collared Seedeater
Sporophila collaris
Strikingly patterned finchlike bird. Males have a black head with a white spot on the forehead and under the eyes, a black breast band, a white throat, and a black back. The southern subspecies has a cinnamon nape and belly, which is white in northern birds. Females are brown with a white throat and buffy wingbars. Found in grasslands near water.
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