Silverbird (bird)

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Silverbird
EmpidornisSemipartitus.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Muscicapidae
Genus: Empidornis
Reichenow, 1901
Species:
E. semipartitus
Binomial name
Empidornis semipartitus
(Rüppell, 1840)
Synonyms

Melaenornis semipartitus

The silverbird (Empidornis semipartitus) is an Old World flycatcher native to Eastern Africa, from Sudan to Tanzania. The species is the only member of the genus Empidornis, although it is sometimes placed in the genus Melaenornis . [2]

Contents

Description

Male silverbird in Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda Silverbird in Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda.JPG
Male silverbird in Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda

The silverbird is a stunning flycatcher of open areas west of the Rift Valley, silvery grey above and tawny orange below. Juveniles have black-bordered tawny spots on upperparts, mottled buff and black on throats and breasts. The species is 18 cm (7.1 in) long and weighs 22–23 g (0.78–0.81 oz). [2]

The call of the silverbird uses short phrases which are slightly thrush-like. Sometimes the terminal note is higher and thinner, eee-sleeur-eeee or sweet siursur-eet-seet; also a longer eep-eep churEErip, eep-eep cherip chch chchch eee, embellished with chattering and seep notes.

Related Research Articles

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The Old World flycatchers are a large family, the Muscicapidae, of small passerine birds restricted to the Old World, with the exception of several vagrants and two species, bluethroat and northern wheatear, found also in North America. These are mainly small arboreal insectivores, many of which, as the name implies, take their prey on the wing. The family includes 352 species and is divided into 53 genera.

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

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

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

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

The paradise flycatchers (Terpsiphone) are a genus of birds in the family Monarchidae. The genus ranges across Africa and Asia, as well as a number of islands. A few species are migratory, but the majority are resident. The most telling characteristic of the genus is the long tail streamers of the males of many species. In addition to the long tails the males and females are sexually dimorphic and have rufous, black and white plumage.

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

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<i>Melaenornis</i> Genus of birds

Melaenornis is a genus of small passerine birds in the large family Muscicapidae commonly known as the Old World flycatchers. They are restricted to sub-Saharan Africa.

<i>Bathmocercus</i> Genus of birds

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

<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">White-vented shama</span> Species of bird

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<i>Cyornis</i> Genus of birds

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-tailed crested flycatcher</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">African shrike-flycatcher</span> Species of bird

The African shrike-flycatcher or red-eyed shrike-flycatcher is a species of bird in the family Vangidae. It is monotypic within the genus Megabyas. It is found in Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, and Zambia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

<i>Niltava</i> Genus of birds

Niltava is a genus of passerine birds in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fraser's rufous thrush</span> Species of bird

Fraser's rufous thrush, also known as the rufous flycatcher-thrush, is a species of bird in the thrush family.

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

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-naped xenopsaris</span> Species of bird in South America

The white-naped xenopsaris, also known as the reed becard and white-naped becard, is a species of suboscine bird in the family Tityridae, the only member of the genus Xenopsaris. It is found in South America, in humid subtropical and tropical savanna climates in most of the countries east of the Andes: Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina. Living in open woodland and other open forest habitats, it is mostly sedentary, though some populations may be migratory. The species, which is closely related to becards and tityras, was thought to be either a tyrant-flycatcher or cotinga, before it was placed in Tityridae.

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

The Papuan grassbird is a species of typical grassbird in the family Locustellidae. The species was once treated as several subspecies of the tawny grassbird, but the two do not interbreed where their ranges are sympatric. The species is endemic to New Guinea and its satellite islands. There are seven subspecies ranging across montane areas of New Guinea, New Britain and New Ireland. It is a fairly large typical grassbird, 20–23 cm (7.9–9.1 in) long and weighing 40 g (1.4 oz).

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

The Himalayan bluetail, also called the Himalayan red-flanked bush-robin or orange-flanked bush-robin, is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher of Muscicapidae. While currently under review, this taxon is not current recognized as a species by BirdLife international.

References

  1. BirdLife International (2012). "Melaenornis semipartitus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
  2. 1 2 Taylor, B. (2017). Silverbird (Melaenornis semipartitus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from http://www.hbw.com/node/59007 on 4 April 2017).