Grey-capped Warbler

Overview

The grey-capped warbler (Eminia lepida) is a large, chunky bird in the family Cisticolidae that is the sole species in the genus Eminia. Found across parts of East and Central Africa, it is currently listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• Roughly 15 cm long and weighing 16–24 g, it is a chunky, thin-tailed bird with a distinctive grey cap and a black band around the head.
• Underparts are grey with olive-green tinges on the flanks and under tail-coverts, complemented by a chestnut throat and vent patch.
• The bill and mouth are black, legs are pinkish-brown, and irises are reddish-brown, while younger birds appear duller with brown eyes.
• Males sing a loud, varied series of trills and whistles lasting 6–20 seconds, often duetting with females who utter a dry trill.

Habitat

This sedentary species inhabits subtropical or moist tropical shrubland, specifically dense undergrowth, scrub, and creepers in damp areas along forest edges, seeps, or riparian strips. It is restricted to regions with annual rainfall exceeding 500 mm, typically dwelling at altitudes of 800–2,500 m in Kenya, and can also be found in well-planted gardens.

Diet

The grey-capped warbler feeds on insects and invertebrates such as caterpillars, moths, grasshoppers, mantids, spiders, and millipedes. It forages by gleaning from foliage and bark, actively searching among dead, curled-up leaves, crevices in bark, and holes in twigs.

Did you know?

The bird constructs an untidy, ball-shaped nest with a side entrance and a protruding porch up to 8 cm long, often suspended over water where it resembles debris lodged in an overhanging branch. In rare instances, it has been observed reusing a weaver nest after modifying the entrance and adding trailing vegetation to enhance camouflage.