Masked Apalis
Apalis binotata
A small, slender warbler with greenish upperparts and reddish eyes; gray crown and cheeks are separated from the black throat by a striking white moustache. Juvenile has a green crown and a yellow throat. Locally common at scattered locations in lowland forest below 1500 meters of elevation, preferring the lower strata of primary and secondary forest and scrub in clearings. Pairs give a continuous buzzy “dree-lip, dreep-lip, dree-lip” and a dry “strik-strik-strik.” Masked Apalis looks similar to some montane forest apalises, but Black-throated Apalis has a striking yellow-orange belly, and Black-faced Apalis, an Albertine Rift endemic, has a black crown and the moustachial streak reduced to a neck spot.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Apalis binotata
- Authority
- Reichenow, 1895
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Cisticolidae
- Genus
- Apalis
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Trumpet Manucode
Phonygammus keraudrenii
Glossy black large songbird with a red eye, long rounded tail, and small shaggy plumes on back of neck. Prefers the middle to upper canopy of rainforest, where it often perches prominently. Compare Spangled Drongo (forked tail), Metallic Starling (much smaller, pointed tail), and male Pacific Koel (larger, with pale bill). Gives a loud, piercing contact call.
Taita Fiscal
Lanius dorsalis
A small black, white, and gray shrike. The sexes are similar, but females can show a small chestnut patch on the flanks. Note the small white mark in the wing and the white outer tail, which can be conspicuous in flight. Found in dry savanna and grassland. Perches up conspicuously, often in pairs. Very similar to Somali Fiscal, but has only a single white patch at the center of the wing. The repetitive vocalizations include rasping and liquid notes, often delivered in a rising pattern.
Gray-headed Swamphen
Porphyrio poliocephalus
A very large bluish-purple waterbird with a red bill and forehead shield, as well as red legs and feet with long toes. The tail is flicked up often, revealing fluffy white “underpants.” Juveniles are duller than adults and lack the red bill and shield. An inhabitant of marshy, vegetated freshwater bodies such as swamps, rivers, and lakes; usually in small groups. Feeds, often clumsily, at muddy water edges, in reeds, and on floating vegetation. Makes short nasal grunts and croaking sounds. Formerly part of the species known as Purple Swamphen.
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