Apalises | |
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Chestnut-throated apalis (Apalis porphyrolaema) | |
Scientific classification | |
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]
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.
The genus contains 26 species: [9]
Image | Common Name | Scientific Name | Distribution |
---|---|---|---|
Bar-throated apalis | Apalis thoracica | Afromontane and proximate elevated areas of southeastern Africa. | |
Yellow-throated apalis | Apalis flavigularis | Malawi. | |
Taita apalis | Apalis fuscigularis | Kenya. | |
Namuli apalis | Apalis lynesi | Mozambique | |
Rudd's apalis | Apalis ruddi | Mozambique, 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 | Sub-Saharan Africa. | |
Lowland masked apalis | Apalis binotata | Angola, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Tanzania, and Uganda. | |
Mountain masked apalis | Apalis personata | Albertine Rift montane forests. | |
Black-throated apalis | Apalis jacksoni | Cameroon to Kenya, | |
White-winged apalis | Apalis chariessa | Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania. | |
Black-capped apalis | Apalis nigriceps | African tropical rainforest. | |
Black-headed apalis | Apalis melanocephala | Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. | |
Chirinda apalis | Apalis chirindensis | Zimbabwe and Mozambique. | |
Chestnut-throated apalis | Apalis porphyrolaema | Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda | |
Kabobo apalis | Apalis kaboboensis | Democratic Republic of the Congo | |
Chapin's apalis or chestnut-headed apalis | Apalis chapini | Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia. | |
Sharpe's apalis | Apalis sharpii | Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. | |
Buff-throated apalis | Apalis rufogularis | Angola, 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 argentea | Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Tanzania. | |
Karamoja apalis | Apalis karamojae [11] | Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya. | |
Maasai apalis | Apalis stronachi | Tanzania and Kenya. | |
Bamenda apalis | Apalis bamendae | Cameroon. | |
Gosling's apalis | Apalis goslingi | Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Gabon. | |
Grey apalis | Apalis cinerea | Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. | |
Brown-headed apalis | Apalis alticola | Angola, Zambia, Malawi, south-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Kenya | |
Formerly in Apalis but now moved to Oreolais : [12]
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Bathmocercus is a genus of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It contains the following species:
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.
The Chirinda apalis is a species of passerine bird belonging to the family Cisticolidae. This species is endemic to the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest.
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.
Camaroptera is a genus of small passerine birds in the family Cisticolidae that are found in sub-Saharan Africa.
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.
Roberts's warbler, also known as Roberts' prinia, briar warbler or brier warbler, is a species of passerine bird belonging to the family Cisticolidae. This species is endemic to the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forest and subtropical or tropical moist shrubland. It is the only species in the genus Oreophilias.
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.
Calamonastes is a genus of birds in the family Cisticolidae. It contains African wren-warblers.
Schistolais is a genus of passerine birds in the family Cisticolidae.
Oreolais is a genus of birds in the family Cisticolidae. It contains species that were previously placed in the genus Apalis.