Green-backed Camaroptera

Overview

The green-backed camaroptera, also known as the bleating camaroptera, is a small bird in the family Cisticolidae that acts as a resident breeder in Africa south of the Sahara Desert. Recent research suggests it may be conspecific with the grey-backed camaroptera.

Identification

• Small, skulking passerine measuring 11.5 cm in length.
• Possesses green upperparts, olive wings, and whitish grey underparts.
• Juveniles are paler yellow on the breast, while adult sexes are similar in appearance.

Habitat

This species is found low in dense cover across Africa south of the Sahara Desert. There are five subspecies distributed across regions including southeast Kenya, southeast Tanzania, northeast Zambia, north Malawi, east Tanzania, south Tanzania, south Malawi, north Mozambique, southeast Zimbabwe, south Mozambique, and northeast South Africa.

Diet

The bird is insectivorous. It is typically found foraging low in dense cover.

Did you know?

The specific epithet brachyura is derived from Ancient Greek terms meaning 'short-tailed'. The species was originally described by Louis Pierre Vieillot in 1821 under the binomial name Sylvia brachyura.