Roberts's warbler

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Roberts's warbler
Roberts's Warbler iNaturalist.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Cisticolidae
Genus: Oreophilais
Clancey, 1991
Species:
O. robertsi
Binomial name
Oreophilais robertsi
(Benson, 1946)
AT1006 map.png
  general range: the montane forest-grassland mosaic
Synonyms
  • Prinia robertsiBenson, 1946

Roberts's warbler (Oreophilais robertsi), 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.

Contents

Taxonomy

Roberts's warbler was first formally described as Prinia robertsi in 1946 by the British ornithologist Constantine Walter Benson, although it had originally been identified as a distinct species at Mount Selinda by Charles Swynnerton in 1906. [2] Benson gave the type locality as Vumba. [3] In 1991 Phillip Clancey proposed the new monospecific genus Oreophilias as, among other features which differed, this species had 8 tail feathers rather than the 10 present in species in the genus Prinia . Clancey suggested that Oreophilias was a more basal taxon thena Prinia because of the lower number of retrices. [4] Roberts's warbler belongs to the family Cisticolidae, which includes the cisticolas, prinias, apalises, tailorbirds, eremomelas and other groups of “African” warblers, formerly classified within the Old World warbler family Sylviidae. The Cisticolidae is now classified in the superfamily Sylvioidea, part of the Corvides clade within the suborder Passeri in the order Passeriformes. [5] This species is monotypic with no subspecies. [6]

Etymology

Roberts's warbler has the genus name Oreophiilias which Clancey explained as combining oreophil, being Greek meaning "mountain-loving", with lais, which is derived from hypolais, a small warbler-like songbird. [4] The specific name honours the South African ornithologist Austin Roberts in recognition of his contribution to the ornithology of southern Africa. [3]

Description

Roberts's warbler resembles the related species in the genus Prinia in being long-tailed warbler-like birds. This species differs from that genus by 8 rather than 10 feathers in the tail which has a more stepped profile than the graduated profile of Prinia. [4] It is a dark-grey warbler which bears the closest resemblance to is the tawny-flanked prinia (P. subflava) but differs in having a grey throat, pale eye and lake of brown edges to feathers of the upperparts. [7] The upperpart of the head with the rest of the upperparts being dull olive brown, the flight feathers of the wing are dark brown and the tail is brown. [3] The underparts are grey to rufous grey and are paler in the non breeding season and in the juveniles the eye is dark.. The length of Roberts's warbler is 13 to 14 cm (5.1 to 5.5 in). [8]

Distribution and habitat

Robert's warbler is endemic to the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe where it is found from the Chimanimani Mountains in the south to Nyanga in the north, typically at altitudes above 1,200 m (3,900 ft), where it appears to replace the tawny-flanked prinia, although the two species overlap with Roberts's warbler preferring denser cover than the prinia. [6] Its range extends into adjacent parts of Mozambique but it has not been recorded from Mount Gorongosa. It prefers forest along streams, clearings, dense stands of bracken, Erica and briar ( Smilax ) along forest edges. [9] [2]

Biology

Robert's warbler is frequently encountered in small parties of up to 10 birds foraging among the lower branches of the forest, among bracken and briars, these foraging parties often halt to chatter together and they keep in contact with a repetitive call, "nyerk-nyerk-nyerk", as well as buzzing notes. These vocalisations are rather babbler-like but are less guttaral than the calls of babblers. [10] It is an insectivorous species and may forage alone, as well as in the parties described above, and also in mixed species flocks. It has been recorded eating flies, beetles and grasshoppers. [9]

It breeds between September and February, with most laying taking place in September. The nest is oval in shape with an entrance offset at the top and it is made from fine grasses and moss, held together with spider web and located about 1 m (3 ft 3 in) above the ground. The clutch consists of 2 or 3 turquoise eggs which are spotted with brown and lilac. [9]

Conservation status

Robert's warbler is classified as a species of Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It does have a restricted range but this does not seem to approach the thresholds for the species to be classified as Vulnerable. The population, although not know, is apparently stable and is thought to be large enough to justify its classification as Least Concern. [1]

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">Tawny-flanked prinia</span> Species of bird

The tawny-flanked prinia is a small passerine bird belonging to the genus Prinia in the family Cisticolidae, a family of Old World warblers. It is widespread and common in most parts of Africa south of the Sahara. The plain prinia of southern Asia was formerly included in this species but is now usually considered to be a separate species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green-backed camaroptera</span> Species of bird

The green-backed camaroptera, also known as the bleating camaroptera, is a small bird in the family Cisticolidae. This bird is a resident breeder in Africa south of the Sahara Desert. Recent studies suggest this species and the grey-backed camaroptera may be the same species.

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

The Karoo prinia or spotted prinia is a small passerine bird. It is a resident breeder in South Africa, Lesotho and far southern Namibia.

<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.

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

The neddicky, or piping cisticola, is a small passerine bird in the family Cisticolidae, which is native to Africa, southwards of the equator. Its strongholds are the light woodlands and shrublands of the subtropics and temperate regions of southern Africa. The common name, neddicky, is the Afrikaans name for the species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape grassbird</span> Species of bird

The Cape grassbird or Cape grass warbler is an African warbler found in southern Africa. It is the only species placed in the genus Sphenoeacus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuckoo-finch</span> Species of bird

The cuckoo-finch, also known as the parasitic weaver or cuckoo weaver, is a small passerine bird now placed in the family Viduidae with the indigobirds and whydahs. It occurs in grassland in Africa south of the Sahara. The male is mainly yellow and green while the female is buff with dark streaks. They lay their eggs in the nests of other birds.

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

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.

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

The grey-capped warbler is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is monotypic in the genus Eminia. The grey-capped warbler is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. It is a large, chunky, thin-tailed-warbler with a distinctive grey cap, a black band around its head, and a chestnut throat wrapping its neck. Grey-capped warblers maintain a diet of insects and other invertebrates, including caterpillars, moths, grasshoppers, and mantids.

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

The red-winged prinia or the red-winged warbler is a bird species in the family Cisticolidae. It formerly belonged in the monotypic genus Heliolais. It is found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, where its natural habitat is dry savanna.

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

The cricket warbler, also known as cricket longtail, scaly longtail or cricket prinia, is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It belongs to the genus Spiloptila; it is often the only species included in the genus but sometimes the red-fronted prinia is placed there as well.

<i>Phyllergates</i> Genus of birds

The species of tailorbirds listed below are small birds of the genus Phyllergates . They were previously placed in the Old World warbler family Sylviidae. However, recent research suggests they more likely belong in the Cettiidae.

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

The Bicol ground warbler is a species of passerine bird in the family Locustellidae. It is endemic to the island of Luzon in the Philippines, where it is found in the southern parts of the island. Along with its other conspecifics, such as the Cordillera ground warbler and the Sierra Madre ground warbler, it is one of the most elusive birds in the country. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.

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

The jungle babblers are a family, Pellorneidae, of mostly Old World passerine birds belonging to the superfamily Sylvioidea. They are quite diverse in size and coloration, and usually characterised by soft, fluffy plumage and a tail on average the length of their body, or longer. These birds are found in tropical zones, with the greatest biodiversity in Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent.

References

  1. 1 2 BirdLife International (2016). "Oreophilais robertsi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T22713663A94385288. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22713663A94385288.en . Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Brier Warbler" (PDF). South African Bird Atlas Project 1. SABAP. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 C. W. Benson (1946). "A new Longtail from Southern Rhodesia". Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club. 66: 52.
  4. 1 2 3 P. A. Clancey (1991). "The generic status of Roberts' prinia of the south-eastern Afrotropics". Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club. 111: 217–222.
  5. Alström P.; P.G.P. Ericson; U. Olsson; and P. Sundberg (2006). "Phylogeny and classification of the avian superfamily Sylvioidea". Molecular Phylogenetic and Evolution. 38 (2): 381–397. Bibcode:2006MolPE..38..381A. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2005.05.015. PMID   16054402.
  6. 1 2 Michael P. Stuart Irwin (1981). The Birds of Zimbabwe. Harare: Quest Publishing (Pvt) Ltd. p. 318. ISBN   0908306016.
  7. Ian Sinclair; Phil Hockey; Warwick Tarboton (2002). SASOL Bird of Southern Africa (3 ed.). Struik. p. 352. ISBN   1868727211.
  8. Sinclair, Ian; Ryan, Peter (2003). Birds of Africa south of the Sahara. Struik. p. 524. ISBN   1-86872-857-9.
  9. 1 2 3 "Oreophilais robertsi (Roberts's warbler, Brier warbler)". Biodiversity Explorer. Iziko museums of South Africa. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  10. "Roberts's Warbler". eBird . Cornell Lab of Ornithology . Retrieved 28 May 2024.