Dohrn's Thrush-Babbler - BirdForum Opus

Alternative names: Dohrn's Flycatcher; Principe Flycatcher-Babbler

Sylvia dohrni

Horizorhinus dohrni

Identification

At 14 - 15 cm, a small, babbler-like passerine:

• Grey and olive above
• Yellowish-white below
• Prominent dark breastband
• Long, deep bill

Sexes similar, juveniles like adults.

Distribution

Endemic to Principe Island in the Gulf of Guinea (Africa).
Restricted-range species, but abundant and not threatened.¹

Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species.^{1, 2}
Relationships uncertain and further study needed. Has been considered to be a Thrush, an Old World Warbler or an Old World Flycatcher. Due to bill morphology and voice (resembling Mountain-Babblers) placed in the Babblers.¹. Gill and Donsker still place this species in the genus Horizorhinus.

Habitat

Bushes and small trees, primary forest, secondary forest, cocoa plantations, coconut plantations, villages. Found at all elevations.

Behaviour

Usually seen in pairs or small groups of up to 8 birds, sometimes more. Noisy. Associates sometimes with Principe Golden-Weaver and Principe Glossy-Starling.

Resident species.¹

Diet

Feeds on insects and small snails. Takes also berries and seeds. Forages low in understorey and undergrowth, inspecting undersides of branches and sallies after insects.

Breeding

Breeding season from June to September, probably also in other months. The nest is a fragile cup made of dry leaves and dead grass. One reported nest held two young.

References

1. Del Hoyo, J, A Elliot, and J Sargatal, eds. 1994. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 2: New World Vultures to Guineafowl. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8487334153
2. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2015. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2015, with updates to August 2015. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Dohrn's Thrush-Babbler. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 23 November 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Dohrn%27s_Thrush-Babbler

External Links

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