Tawny-flanked Prinia
Prinia subflava
A slender, active unstreaked warbler with a long graduated tail that is sometimes cocked. It is mouse-brown above and pale below, with tawny flanks and a distinctive pale eyebrow. Pairs and small groups patrol rank grass, riverine scrub, and thickets in savanna, where they are often on the ground or in the lower levels of vegetation. The species sings a strident “stiiikk” note repeatedly 6-15 times before pausing, but it may sing incessantly for minutes, and it also has a tinnier “stip-stip-stip” call; tone and pitch vary geographically. The similar Pale Prinia is more washed out with whitish flanks, and the very similar-looking River Prinia is local, restricted to riverine fringes in the Sahel, and has a sweeter higher-pitched song.
识别特征
The tawny-flanked prinia is 11–12 cm (4.3–4.7 in) in length with a long, narrow, graduated tail and a fairly long, slender bill. The tail is often held erect or waved from side to side. The upperparts are grey-brown with rufous-brown edges to the flight feathers and a rufous tinge to the rump. The throat and breast are whitish while the flanks and vent are warm buff. There is a whitish stripe over the eye and the lores are dark. The tail feathers have a white tip and a dark subterminal band.<p>The sexes are similar in appearance. Non-breeding birds have a longer tail than breeding birds. Juveniles have pale yellow underparts and a yellowish bill. There are many recognised subspecies.<p>The call is short, wheezy and rapidly repeated. The song is a monotonous series of shrill notes. The male often sings from an exposed perch.<p>The pale prinia (P. somalica) of North-east Africa is similar but paler and greyer with whitish flanks. It inhabits drier, more open habitats than the tawny-flanked prinia. The river prinia (P. fluviatilis) of West Africa is also paler and greyer and has a longer tail. It is restricted to waterside vegetation.
分类信息
The tawny-flanked prinia was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with the wagtails in the genus Motacilla and coined the binomial name Motacilla subflava. The specific epithet combines the Latin sub meaning "beneath" or "somewhat" with flavus meaning "yellow". Gmelin based his account on a hand coloured engraving by François-Nicolas Martinet that was published to accompany the Comte de Buffon's multi-volume work, the Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux. The tawny-flanked prinia is now one of 30 species placed in the genus Prinia that was introduced by the American naturalist Thomas Horsfield in 1821.<p>Ten subspecies are recognised:
- 学名
- Prinia subflava
- 命名信息
- (Gmelin, JF, 1789)
- 目
- Passeriformes
- 科
- Cisticolidae
- 属
- Prinia
分布与栖息地
There are ten subspecies distributed across most parts of sub-Saharan Africa except for the driest and wettest areas. It is absent from much of the Congo Basin, southern Namibia, south-west Botswana and the western half of South Africa. It is found amongst shrubs and grass in a variety of habitats including woodland, savanna and cultivated areas. It adapts well to man-made habitats and is not considered to be threatened.
- 迁徙
- Resident species
行为
It feeds on insects and other invertebrates. It forages in small flocks which move through shrubs and undergrowth.<p>The nest is purse-shaped and made of strips of grass woven together. It is built one to two metres above the ground. Two to four eggs are laid; they are variable in ground colour and usually have brown or purple spots or blotches.
保护状况
- 种群趋势
- stable
照片
分布
鸟叫声
其他鸟类
Calayan Rail
Gallirallus calayanensis
A large rail of forest floor on Calayan Island. Overall slaty-gray in color, slightly browner on the back, with a blackish face, long orange-red legs, and a fairly long, stout orange-red bill. Forages on the forest floor for snails, beetles, and millipedes. Similarly sized birds on Calayan include Barred Rail and Plain Bush-hen, but both avoid forest interior. Tabon Scrubfowl is found in forest, but lacks the orange bill and legs. Voice is a nasal squawk.
Eastern Black-eared Wheatear
Oenanthe melanoleuca
A small, slim wheatear. Males striking: black wings contrast with a whitish back and crown and a black mask through the eye. Throat can be white or black. Females have a more muted version of the male’s overall pattern. The tail has a complicated black-and-white pattern that is conspicuous in flight. Found in open habitats with scattered trees, including savanna, rocky mountain slopes, and barren pastures. The song is a quick, exuberant jumble of scratchy notes. Very similar to Western Black-eared Wheatear, but usually distinguished by being much paler and more washed-out overall, with only a hint of a yellowish wash on the head, back, and breast. Also similar to Pied Wheatear, but male’s black face patch is not connected to the black wing, and female is slightly warmer and browner than the grayish female Pied.
Southern Cordonbleu
Uraeginthus angolensis
A small gray-brown and powder-blue waxbill with a blue-gray bill. The male is bright with extensively blue underparts, while the female is paler, often with a grayish belly. Pairs and small flocks are resident in dry savanna, cultivation, and rural villages close to permanent water for drinking. The species may disperse during drought. It frequently gives a loud and distinctive high-pitched “tsee-tsee-tsee” call, especially when flushed. The similar male Red-cheeked Cordonbleu has a diagnostic red cheek patch and pinkish bill, but hybrids have been recorded.
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