- Phyllastrephus terrestris
Terrestrial Bulbul
Identification
Upper parts dark brown with ginger-brown lower back and rump. Throat white, breast and belly pale creamy yellow, and flanks brownish yellow. Eyes red to red-brown with a narrow white eye-ring.
Distribution
Sub-Saharan Africa: Angola, Namibia, Zambia, DRC, Tanzania, Kenya, Somalia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa.
Taxonomy
Three subspecies: P.t. terrestris from southern and south-eastern South Africa through western Swazland and north-eastern South Africa to western Botswana; P.t. intermedius north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal, eastern Swaziland, southern Mozambique, Zimbabwe, northern Botswana, Caprivi, southern Angola, Zambia and southern DRC; P.t. suahelicus Tanzania, Kenya and Somalia.
Habitat
Understory of forests, thickets and dense scrub.
Behaviour
Forages in small groups, mainly for invertebrates, but also small reptiles, fruit, seeds and nectar. Often located by noisy flicking of leaf litter or harsh, churring "wakkity-wakkity-wakkity" alarm calls.
References
Hockey PAR, Dean WRJ & Ryan PG (eds) 2005. Robert's Birds of Southern Africa, 7th edition. Cape Town: John Voelcker Bird Book Fund. ISBN 0620340533
