Red-capped forest warbler

The red-capped forest warbler (Artisornis metopias), also known as the African tailorbird, is a songbird of the family Cisticolidae, formerly part of the "Old World warbler" assemblage. It is found in Mozambique and Tanzania. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests from 1600 to 2500 m.[2]

Red-capped forest warbler
Call
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Cisticolidae
Genus: Artisornis
Species:
A. metopias
Binomial name
Artisornis metopias
(Reichenow, 1907)
Synonyms

Prinia metopias (protonym)
Orthotomus metopias

Taxonomy

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The red-capped forest warbler was formally described in 1907 by the German ornithologist Anton Reichenow from a specimen collected in the Usambara Mountains of Tanzania. Reichenow coined the binomial name Prinia metopias.[3] The specific epithet is from the Ancient Greek metōpias meaning "having a high forehead".[4] This warbler is now placed with the long-billed forest warbler in the genus Artisornis that was introduced in 1928 by the American ornithologist Herbert Friedmann.[5][6]

Two subspecies are recognised:[6]

  • A. m. metopias (Reichenow, 1907) – northeast Tanzania to northwest Mozambique
  • A. m. altus (Friedmann, 1927) – Uluguru Mountains (east Tanzania)

Description

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The red-capped forest warbler is olive-brown above with a whitish color from the center of the throat to the vent, and with flanks that are washed grey. The crown is a rich chestnut brown, as well as the ear-coverts and the sides of the neck. Immature individuals have a pale yellow wash on their undersides. The average adult is 10 cm long and has a mass of approximately 8.4 g.[7]

References

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  1. ^ BirdLife International (2017). "Artisornis metopias". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T22714948A118719976. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T22714948A118719976.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ Birdlife International (2018). "Red-capped Forest Warbler Artisornis metopias: Data table and detailed info". Birdlife International. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  3. ^ Reichenow, Anton (1907). "Neue Vogelarten". Ornithologische Monatsberichte (in German). 15: 29–31 [30].
  4. ^ Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 252. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
  5. ^ Friedmann, Herbert (1928). "VI. A collection of birds from the Uluguru and the Usambara Mountains, Tanganyika Territory". Ibis. 70 (1): 74–99 [93]. doi:10.1111/j.1474-919X.1928.tb08710.x.
  6. ^ a b Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (January 2022). "Grassbirds, Donacobius, tetrakas, cisticolas, allies". IOC World Bird List Version 12.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  7. ^ Stevenson, Terry; Fanshawe, John (2002). Birds of East Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton Field Guides. p. 380. ISBN 978-0-691-12665-4.