Namuli fine singer
| Namuli fine singer | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Apalis lynesi | ||||||||||||
| Vincent , 1933 |
The Namuli warbler ( Apalis lynesi ) is a songbird belonging to the genus of the fine warbler . It is endemic to the mount namuli in Mozambique . The specific epithet refers to the British admiral and ornithologist Hubert Lynes .
description
The Namuli fine singer was until 1994 a subspecies of the collar fine singer ( Apalis thoracica ). However, due to molecular biological studies, it is now regarded as an independent species. It reaches a size of 11 to 12 centimeters and a weight of 10 to 12 grams. The male has a dark gray skull. The neck and top are dark olive green. The wings of the hand and arm are black-brown with greenish outer edges. The tail is black-brown. The two outer tail feathers are whitish. Throat and upper chest are blackish. The rest of the underside is yellow. The flanks are olive-colored washed out. The iris is whitish, the beak black and the legs flesh pink. In the female, the reins, cheeks and throat are dark gray. The young birds have not yet been described. The male's song consists of a series of loud, monotonous “ preep ” notes. The female song is faster and more shrill.
habitat
The Namuli warbler lives in the canopy and the edges of montane mountain forests and secondary forests at altitudes of 1100 to 2000 m.
Way of life
The Namuli fine singer is territorial and lives in pairs or in small family groups of four to six birds. The diet consists mainly of small insects pecked at by leaves and small twigs. Occasionally it also feeds on berries and seeds. Little is known about its breeding biology. The only known nest was discovered in November 1998 in a fork of a branch at a height of 4 meters. It was arched, with an entrance pointing upwards, and was made of roots, fine herbaceous stems, creepers, lichen, felt-like plant material and cobwebs.
status
When it was discovered in 1932, the Namuli fine singer was still described as numerous. Only 66 years later there was a new expedition on Monte Namuli , where the researchers determined a density of 5 specimens per hectare. Based on the research results, BirdLife International estimates the total population at 5000 specimens. The Namuli warbler occurs most frequently above 1400 m, where there are still intact forests. Below this altitude, the forests have been severely fragmented by clearing. A planned road to make the deforestation in the region more effective could endanger its existence in the future.
literature
- J. Del Hoyo, A. Elliot, J. Sargatal (Eds.): Handbook of the Birds of the World . Volume 11: Old World Flycatchers to Old World Warblers. Lynx Edicions 2006, ISBN 849655306X
Web links
- Apalis lynesi in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2008. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2008. Accessed January 31 of 2009.
- BirdLife Species factsheet