Alternative name: Lesser Icterine Greenbul
- Phyllastrephus icterinus
Identification
15-16 cm, 5.9-6.3 inches. Males: 16.5–24.5 g, 0.58-0.86 oz. Females: 15–22 g, 0.53-0.78 oz.
A slender, small Greenbul with a yellow throat.
Adult
- Lores and ear-coverts pale greenish-yellow with yellow streaks
- Faint yellow eyering
- Indistinct darker yellowish-green eyeline starting in front and reaching slightly behind the eye
- Pale greenish-yellow supercilium above the eyering
- Dull yellowish-green forehead, crown nape and upperparts
- Bright yellow throat
- Dull reddish-brown uppertail-coverts and retrices
- Drab greenish-brown greater and median upperwing-coverts and primaries
- Sides to breast and flanks pale green to yellowish-green
- Centre of upper breast yellow washed with greenish-yellow
- Remainder of underparts are the same bright yellow as the throat
- Iris light brown or greyish-brown
- Culmen black or brownish-black
- Lower mandible grey to greenish-grey with pale cutting edges and tip
- Gape yellow
- Legs blue-grey to blue-green
Sexes similar, females a bit smaller than males.
Juvenile
Juveniles have greener upperparts and washed brownish breast and throat.
Similar species
Very similar to slightly smaller Xavier's Greenbul. Also a weaker bill and slightly brighter uppertail-coverts and tail. Can only be separated reliably by voice in the field.
Distribution
Western and Central Africa: from Sierra Leone east to Guinea and Ghana. One record from Togo. Also from southwest Nigeria east to Central African Republic and south to Gabon, Republic of the Congo, northern Angola, DR Congo and east to Uganda and extreme northwest Tanzania.
Widespread and generaly common to abundant in its range.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species.
Relationship with Liberian Greenbul needs more investigation. Very similar and sibling species of Xavier's Greenbul.
Habitat
Found in primary, old secondary evergreen and semi-deciduous forest, forest-savanna mosaic and swamp-forest. Usually in forest interior.
Mainly in lowlands, recorded up to 1260 m in Cameroon, 1250 m in Uganda, 1430 m in DR Congo and 900 m in Liberia.
Behaviour
Usually seen in small family groups and often in mixed-species flocks. A rather shy species.
Diet
Feeds on insects and spiders. Takes also some fruit and seeds.
Forages in the undergrowth and in low bushes. Also follows small mammals such as squirrels and antelopes, catching insects flushed out by mammals.
Breeding
Breeding season differs through range. A monogamous species. The nest is a small cup made of dried leaves, some twigs and rootlets. It's suspended like a hammock, 0.65 to 11 m above the ground. Lays 2 eggs.
Movements
This is a resident species.
Vocalisation
Song a quiet, fast nasal chattering, “chirrrup-chup-chup-chup-chup-chup”, slowing at the end, alarm call is a nasal trill.
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) Icterine Greenbul. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 22 December 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Icterine_Greenbul
