Apalis

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Apalises
Chestnut throated apalis1.jpg
Chestnut-throated apalis (Apalis porphyrolaema)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Cisticolidae
Genus: Apalis
Swainson, 1833
Type species
Motacilla thoracica [1]
Shaw, 1811
Species

See species list

The apalises are small passerine birds belonging to the genus Apalis, in the family Cisticolidae. They are found in forest, woodlands and scrub across most parts of sub-Saharan Africa. [2] They are slender birds with long tails and have a slender bill for catching insects. They are typically brown, grey or green above and several species have brightly coloured underparts. Males and females are usually similar in appearance but the males are sometimes brighter. [2]

Contents

The genus was erected by the English naturalist William John Swainson in 1833. The type species is the bar-throated apalis. [3] [4] The name Apalis is from the Ancient Greek hapalos meaning "delicate" or "gentle". [5] Apalises were traditionally classified in the Old World warbler family Sylviidae but are now commonly placed, together with several other groups of mainly African warblers, in a separate family Cisticolidae. [6]

There are about 24 species of apalis; the exact number varies according to differing authorities. The African tailorbird and long-billed tailorbird were formerly considered to be apalises but are now often placed either with the tailorbirds ( Orthotomus ) or in their own genus Artisornis . [2] The red-fronted prinia or red-faced apalis has also been moved into a different genus, Prinia . [7] Further shuffling may be necessary as a recent study [8] found the genus to be polyphyletic, with two species (black-collared and Ruwenzori apalises) only distantly related to the other three tested.

Species list

The genus contains 25 species: [9]

ImageCommon NameScientific NameDistribution
Bar-throated Apalis - South Africa S4E8250 (17142005750).jpg Bar-throated apalis Apalis thoracicaTropical Africa
Yellow-throated apalis Apalis flavigularisMalawi.
Taita apalis Apalis fuscigularisKenya.
Namuli apalis Apalis lynesiMozambique
Rudd's apalis, Apalis ruddi, at Ndumo Nature Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (28861972221).jpg Rudd's apalis Apalis ruddiMozambique, southern Malawi, South Africa and Eswatini.
Brown-tailed apalis Apalis flavocincta [10] Ethiopia, Sudan, and Uganda to Somalia and Kenya.
Yellow-breasted apalis, Apalis flavida.jpg Yellow-breasted apalis Apalis flavidaAngola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, DRC, Ivory Coast, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Lowland Masked Apalis 110ND500 DSC8928.jpg Lowland masked apalis Apalis binotataAngola, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Black-faced Apalis (Apalis personata) (18265650889).jpg Mountain masked apalis Apalis personataUganda
Black-throated Apalis - Mt.Kenya, Kenya (cropped).jpg Black-throated apalis Apalis jacksoniCameroon to Kenya,
Apalis chariessa.jpg White-winged apalis Apalis chariessaKenya, Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania.
Black-capped Apalis - Ghana S4E1344 (16709329573).jpg Black-capped apalis Apalis nigricepsSub-Saharan Africa.
Black-headed Apalis - Malawi S4E4723 (17122255647).jpg Black-headed apalis Apalis melanocephalaKenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe.
Apalis chirindensis 180954811.jpg Chirinda apalis Apalis chirindensisZimbabwe and Mozambique.
Chestnut-throated Apalis - Uganda H8O3351 (16707119014).jpg Chestnut-throated apalis Apalis porphyrolaemaBurundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda
Kabobo apalis Apalis kaboboensisDemocratic Republic of the Congo
Chapin's apalis or chestnut-headed apalisApalis chapiniMalawi, Tanzania, and Zambia.
Sharpe's Apalis - Ghana S4E1388 (17122143127).jpg Sharpe's apalis Apalis sharpiiCôte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
Buff-throated Apalis 111ND500 DSC9557-1.jpg Buff-throated apalis Apalis rufogularisAngola, Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.
Kungwe apalis Apalis argenteaBurundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Tanzania.
Karamoja Apalis imported from iNaturalist photo 21665436 on 21 April 2022.jpg Karamoja apalis Apalis karamojae [11] Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya.
Apalis bamendae 81145859.jpg Bamenda apalis Apalis bamendaeCameroon.
Gosling's Apalis iNaturalist.jpg Gosling's apalis Apalis goslingiAngola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Gabon.
Gray Apalis - Naru Moru - Kenya 06 9002 (17327701652) (cropped).jpg Grey apalis Apalis cinereaAngola, Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Brown-headed apalis Apalis alticolaAngola, Zambia, Malawi, south-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Kenya

Formerly in Apalis but now moved to Oreolais : [12]

Related Research Articles

Old World warblers are a large group of birds formerly grouped together in the bird family Sylviidae. They are not closely related to the New World warblers. The family held over 400 species in over 70 genera, and were the source of much taxonomic confusion. Two families were split out initially, the cisticolas into Cisticolidae and the kinglets into Regulidae. In the past ten years they have been the subject of much research and many species are now placed into other families, including the Acrocephalidae, Cettiidae, Phylloscopidae, and Megaluridae. In addition some species have been moved into existing families or have not yet had their placement fully resolved. A smaller number of warblers, together with some babblers formerly placed in the family Timaliidae and the parrotbills, are retained in a much smaller family Sylviidae.

<i>Cisticola</i> Genus of birds

Cisticolas are a genus of very small insectivorous birds formerly classified in the Old World warbler family Sylviidae, but now usually considered to be in the separate family Cisticolidae, along with other southern warbler genera. They are believed to be quite closely related to the swallows and martins, the bulbuls and the white-eyes. The genus contains about 50 species, of which only two are not found in Africa: one in Madagascar and the other from Asia to Australasia. They are also sometimes called fantail-warblers due to their habit of conspicuously flicking their tails, or tailor-birds because of their nests.

<i>Prinia</i> Genus of birds

Prinia is a genus of small insectivorous birds belonging to the passerine bird family Cisticolidae. They were at one time classed in the Old World warbler family, Sylviidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cisticolidae</span> Family of birds

The family Cisticolidae is a group of about 160 warblers, small passerine birds found mainly in warmer southern regions of the Old World. They were formerly included within the Old World warbler family Sylviidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tailorbird</span> Genus of birds

Tailorbirds are small birds, most belonging to the genus Orthotomus. While they were often placed in the Old World warbler family Sylviidae, recent research suggests they more likely belong in the Cisticolidae and they are treated as such in Del Hoyo et al. One former species, the mountain tailorbird, is actually closer to an old world warbler genus Cettia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oriole warbler</span> Species of bird

The oriole warbler is a large warbler in the family Cisticolidae, and the only member of the genus Hypergerus. This bird is a resident breeder in west Africa from southern Senegal to Cameroon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Namaqua warbler</span> Species of bird

The Namaqua warbler, also known as the Namaqua prinia or white-breasted prinia, is a small passerine bird, a cisticolid warbler and the sole member of the genus Phragmacia. It was formerly placed in the genus Prinia, but was found to be sufficiently distinct to warrant a genus of its own.

<i>Bathmocercus</i> Genus of birds

Bathmocercus is a genus of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It contains the following species:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-faced rufous warbler</span> Species of bird

The black-faced rufous warbler is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest.

Winifred's warbler, also known as Mrs. Moreau's warbler, is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. The species was first recorded and named by the ornithologist Reginald Moreau after his wife.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-collared apalis</span> Species of bird

The black-collared apalis is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is found in the Cameroonian Highlands forests, western Kenya and the Albertine rift montane forests.

The Rwenzori apalis or collared apalis is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forest.

<i>Camaroptera</i> Genus of birds

Camaroptera is a genus of small passerine birds in the family Cisticolidae that are found in sub-Saharan Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Socotra warbler</span> Species of bird

The Socotra warbler is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is monotypic within the genus Incana. It is endemic to Socotra. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland and subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland. It is threatened by habitat loss.

<i>Neomixis</i> Genus of birds

Neomixis is a genus of small forest birds that are endemic to Madagascar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-fronted prinia</span> Species of bird

The red-fronted prinia, also known as the red-fronted warbler and the red-faced apalis, is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is found in Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Its natural habitat is dry savanna.

Scepomycter is a genus of threatened birds in the family Cisticolidae. The two species are endemic to highland forests in the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania. They are small, mainly grey birds with a reddish-orange head.

<i>Calamonastes</i> Genus of birds

Calamonastes is a genus of birds in the family Cisticolidae. It contains African wren-warblers.

<i>Schistolais</i> Genus of birds

Schistolais is a genus of passerine birds in the family Cisticolidae.

<i>Oreolais</i> Genus of birds

Oreolais is a genus of birds in the family Cisticolidae. It contains species that were previously placed in the genus Apalis.

References

  1. "Cisticolidae". aviansystematics.org. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 2023-07-15.
  2. 1 2 3 Sinclair, Ian; Ryan, Peter (2003). Birds of Africa south of the Sahara. Struik. pp. 512, 540. ISBN   1-86872-857-9.
  3. Swainson, William John (1833). Zoological Illustrations, or original figures and descriptions of new, rare, or interesting Animals, selected chiefly from the classes of ornithology, entomology, and conchology and arranged according to their apparent affinities. Series 2. Vol. 3. London: Baldwin and Cradock. Plate 119 text.
  4. Mayr, Ernst; Cottrell, G. William, eds. (1986). Check-list of Birds of the World. Vol. 11. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 154.
  5. Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p.  50. ISBN   978-1-4081-2501-4.
  6. Roberson, Don. "Cisticolas & Allies Cisticolidae". Archived from the original on 21 April 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-29.
  7. Lepage, Denis. "Red-faced Apalis (Urorhipis rufifrons) (Rüppell, 1840)". Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-03-29.
  8. Nguembock, B; Fjeldså, J.; Tillier, A.; Pasquet, E. (2007). "A phylogeny for the Cisticolidae (Aves: Passeriformes) based on nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequence data, and a re-interpretation of an[sic] unique nest-building specialization". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 42 (1): 272–286. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2006.07.008. PMID   16949311.
  9. Olsson, U.; Irestedt, M.; Sangster, G.; Ericson, P.G.P.; Alström, P. (2013). "Systematic revision of the avian family Cisticolidae based on a multi-locus phylogeny of all genera". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 66 (3): 790–799. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2012.11.004. PMID   23159891.
  10. "Species Updates – IOC World Bird List" . Retrieved 2021-06-18.
  11. Shaw, Philip; Mungaya, Elias (2006). "The status and habitat of Karamoja Apalis Apalis karamojae in the Wembere Steppe, Sukumaland, Tanzania". Bird Conservation International. 16 (2): 97–111. doi: 10.1017/S0959270906000049 .
  12. Nguembock, B.; Fjeldså, J.; Couloux, A.; Cruaud, C.; Pasquet, E. (2008). "Polyphyly of the genus Apalis and a new generic name for the species pulchra and ruwenzorii". Ibis. 150 (4): 756–765. doi:10.1111/j.1474-919X.2008.00852.x.

Further reading