- Fraseria cinerascens
Identification
17 cm.
- Dark slate-grey upperparts
- Distinctive white supraloral streak
- White underparts with indistinct grey crescentic bars on throat and breast
- ruthae has darker upperparts and is heavier scalloped on breast
Sexes similar, juveniles are browner above, densely spotted rufous-brown with washed rufous brown breast and flanks.
Distribution
Western and Central Africa: From Senegal east to Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon and south to DR Congo.
Uncommon to abundant in its range.
Taxonomy
Two subspecies recognized:
- F. c. cinerascens from Senegal and Gambia to Ghana
- F. c. ruthae from southern Nigeria to Cameroon to DR Congo
Habitat
Moist lowland forests and swamps. Always near water.
Behaviour
Diet
Feeds mainly on insects. Takes also spiders, worms and some small fruits.
Forages singly or in pairs. Sits often on an exposed perch in a shady place under dense foliage.
Breeding
Breeding recorded at different times in range, some pairs breed twice a year. A monogamous species, solitary and territorial all year. The nest is a cup made by moss, dead twigs and leaves, lichens and rootlets. It's placed in a cavity or split in a dead stump, a tree trunk, in a termite mound or a riverbank cavity, 1 to 3 m above the ground. Lays 1 to 2 eggs.
Movements
A sedentary species.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2013. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.8., with updates to August 2013. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved July 2014)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) White-browed Forest Flycatcher. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 28 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/White-browed_Forest_Flycatcher
