Green Longtail
Urolais epichlorus
A distinctive apalis-like bird of scrub and forest edge in the mountains, where it is commonly encountered in small family groups. Dingy white below and uniformly green above. Named for its long, thin green tail feathers that can be longer than the rest of the body. While tail length varies by age and sex, it always appears relatively long. Song is a distinctive, rising series of psip-like notes, “ree-Ree-Ree-REE!”, sometimes given with a duetted “tik-tik-tik-tik.”
Identification
The green longtail (Urolais epichlorus) is a bird species of the family Cisticolidae, in the monotypic genus Urolais. It is native to the Western High Plateau and the Cameroonian Highlands forests. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forest and dry savanna.
Taxonomy
Genus: Urolais; Family: Cisticolidae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Urolais epichlorus
- Authority
- (Reichenow, 1892)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Cisticolidae
- Genus
- Urolais
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Spotted Rail
Pardirallus maculatus
Elusive, boldly patterned, fairly large rail of fresh marshes in tropical lowlands. Usually elusive, but sometimes walks around in the open at any time of day. No similar species if seen well. Note the brightly colored bill and legs and boldly spotted and barred black-and-white plumage.
Cinnamon-breasted Bunting
Emberiza tahapisi
A bunting with cinnamon underparts, black-and-brown mottled upperparts, and a black-and-orange bill. The male’s head is boldly striped black-and-white, while the female’s head is less contrasting, with gray and buff stripes. Pairs prefer rocky outcrops, quarries, and gullies in arid and moist savanna and semi-desert, favoring open ground. The species is often detected by its grating song. The similar Gosling’s Bunting differs from Cinnamon-breasted Bunting by having a gray (not black) throat; birds in northern Ethiopia/Eritrea may be part of a hybrid swarm. House Bunting has a streaked (not solid) throat and breast.
White-rumped Cuckooshrike
Coracina leucopygia
A chunky bird with a thick bill, a gray body, a black face, a beady eye, and a white belly and rump that contrast with a black tail. Paler juvenile shows barring on underside. Small groups frequent canopy in open wooded areas, mangroves, and swamp forest. Found only in a restricted range on Sulawesi and satellite islands. Differs from female Pied Cuckooshrike in having a pale eye, and also occupies more open habitats. Frequently gives an excited jangling call, “zrrrirup,” that rapidly ascends and then descends; also gives other chattering and rasping notes.
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