Alternative names: White-breasted Akalat; White-breasted Illadopsis; Pale-breasted Thrush-Babbler
- Illadopsis rufipennis
Identification
14 - 15cm. A thrush-like Babbler, very similar to Brown Illadopsis:
- Dark rufous brown crown, lores, cheek, upperpars and tail
- Very slight pale eyering
- Head and face side slightly greyish and olive
- Throat white and puffed out in excitement
- Breast pale buffish-brown, belly whiter
Confusion species
Distinguished from Brown Illadopsis by smaller size, shorter tail, more contrast between upper- and underparts and voice. See also Scaly-breasted Illadopsis.
Distribution
Found mainly in west and central Africa from Sierra Leone east over Cameroon to Angola and Democratic Republic of Congo to Kenya and Tanzania.
Common in parts of its range.
Taxonomy
Formerly placed in genus Malacocincla or Trichastoma. Tanzanian Illadopsis was formerly considered conspecific with this species.
Subspecies
Clements recognizes two subspecies[1].
- I. r. extrema from Sierra Leone to Ghana
- I. r. rufipennis from Nigeria east to Uganda, Kenya and extreme northwest Tanzania
IOC additionally recognizes subspecies I. r. bocagei from Bioko Island, but this is included as a synonym of rufipennis by Clements.
Habitat
Dense undergrowth in primary and secondary humid broadleaf forest. Also transition and montane evergreen forest, moss forest, logged forest and forest patches in grassland. Generally between 500 - 1525m, in Kenya up to 2300m.
Behaviour
Feeds on small invertebrates and their eggs.
Usually seen singly, in pairs or in small groups, sometimes with other species at driver-ant columns. Forages on or close to the ground, usually lower than Brown Illadopsis.
Breeding season differs through range. Maybe a co-operative breeder. The nest can be a large loose deep cup or a flat cup made of rootlets. The nest is placed 0.8 to 2.5m above the ground well hidden in a bush or small tree. Lays 2 eggs. Brood parasitism by Olive Long-tailed Cuckoo reported.
Resident species.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2022. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2022. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Gill, F, D Donsker, and P Rasmussen (Eds). 2023. IOC World Bird List (v 13.1)_red. Doi 10.14344/IOC.ML.13.1. http://www.worldbirdnames.org/
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2007. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 12: Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553422
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Pale-breasted Illadopsis. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 6 October 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Pale-breasted_Illadopsis
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
