- Platysteira castanea
Includes West African Wattle-eye
Identification
10–11cm
Male
- Glossy black upperparts
- White underparts and rump
- Black breast band
- Grey bare skin (eye wattle) around eye
- Dark brown iris
Female
- Dull brownish-black
- Grey head
- White belly and chin
- Chestnut chest and sides to head
Distribution
Central [[Africa]:
Western Africa: Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola
Eastern Africa: Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia
African Islands: Gulf of Guinea Islands, Bioko (Fernando Po)
Taxonomy
Two subspecies are recognized[1]:
- P.c. hormophora:
- Sierra Leone to Togo - sometimes recognized as full species, West African Wattle-eye
- P.c. castanea:
There seems to be a deep divergence in DNA sequences within this species, indicating a possible future split wich is already accepted by Gill and Donsker.
This species is placed in the genus Dyaphorophyia by some authorities[2].
Habitat
Swamps, damp savanna, moist lowland forests to 1,800m.
Behaviour
Diet
The diet includes insects.
Breeding
Monogamous. Its nest is small and cup-shaped; 1-2 glossy blue-green eggs are laid and incubated by the female for 17 days.
References
- Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- Birdforum thread with Wattle-eye phylogeny discussed in post 15
- Answers.com
- novelguide.com
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Chestnut Wattle-eye. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 14 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Chestnut_Wattle-eye
