From Opus

Photo by Jan Van den Broeck
St. Lucia, South Africa

Smithornis capensis

[edit] Identification

12-14cm

• Brownish head and upperparts
• Buff underparts streaked black

[edit] Distribution

Widespread throughout sub-Saharan Africa
Western Africa: Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo, Angola
Eastern Africa: Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi
Southern Africa: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland

[edit] Taxonomy

Nine subspecies are recognised.

[edit] Subspecies^[1]

• S. c. delacouri:

• Sierra Leone to Ghana

• S. c. camarunensis:

• Cameroon to Gabon and Central African Republic

• S. c. albigularis:

• Angola to Zaire, northern Zambia, western Tanzania and northern Malawi

• S. c. medianus:

• Central Kenya and north-eastern Tanzania

• S. c. meinertzhageni:

• Highlands of north-eastern Zaire, Uganda and western Kenya

• S. c. suahelicus:

• South-eastern Kenya, eastern Tanzania and north-eastern Mozambique

• S. c. conjunctus:

• Caprivi Strip and middle Zambezi Valley to north-western Mozambique

• S. c. cryptoleucus:

• Southern Malawi and south-eastern Tanzania to north-eastern Transvaal and Mozambique

• S. c. capensis :

• South Africa (coastal Natal and southern Zululand)

[edit] Habitat

Dense forests, moist montanes and savanna.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Diet

The diet includes insects.

[edit] Breeding

2-3 eggs are laid.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist.
2. Avibase
3. Answers.com

• List of references

[edit] External Links