Abyssinian Longclaw
Macronyx flavicollis
A large and relatively colorful member of the pipit family. Note the black necklace, orange throat, and partially yellow eye-stripe. The white corners of the black tail are conspicuous during the weak, fluttering flight. Found on the ground in montane grassland, often in wet areas. Brownish immatures can be confused with pipits, but are larger and more robust. The vocalizations include “tsik” calls and whistles.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Macronyx flavicollis
- Authority
- Rüppell, 1840
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Motacillidae
- Genus
- Macronyx
Range and habitat
The bird's natural habitats are subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland of the Ethiopian Highlands, and arable land.<p>The Abyssinian longclaw is very similar in both appearance and behavior to the yellow-throated longclaw (Macronyx croceus) of other parts of Africa. It is a common grassland bird of the western and south eastern Ethiopian Highlands, except in the extreme north where it does not occur.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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