From Opus

Photo by Mybs
Cedarberg Wilderness area, 200 km's from Cape Town, South Africa March 2005

Alternative name: Dusky Alseonax

Muscicapa adusta

[edit] Identification

At only 100-111 mm it is a relatively small flycatcher. It has a short tail which gives it a characteristic dumpy appearance. The adults are plain brown above with a grey-brown underside. The only facial marking is an indistinct narrow eye-ring.

[edit] Distribution

Most of sub-saharan Africa
Western Africa: Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola
Eastern Africa: Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi
Southern Africa: Zimbabwe, South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal, Lesotho, Swaziland
African Islands: Gulf of Guinea Islands, Bioko (Fernando Po)

[edit] Taxonomy

[edit] Subspecies^[1]

• M. a. poensis ( obscura, albiventris, kumboensis, okuensis):

• Highlands of Cameroon; Bioko (Gulf of Guinea)

• M. a. pumila (grotei, subtilis, interposita, chyulu):

• Mountains of southern Sudan to Cameroon, Uganda and northern Tanzania

• M. a. minima:

• Highlands of Eritrea and north-eastern Ethiopia

• M. a. marsabit:

• Northern Kenya (Mount Marsabit region)

• M. a. murina (roehli):

• Mountains of south-eastern Kenya (Taita Hills) to north-western Tanzania

• M. a. fuelleborni:

• Highlands of southern and central Tanzania

• M. a. subadusta (angolensis):

• Angola to southern Zaire, north-western Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique

• M. a. mesica:

• Zimbabwe (except for eastern highlands)

• M. a. fuscula:

• Coastal Transkei to Swaziland, Natal and eastern Cape Province

• M. a. adusta:

• Northern and eastern Transvaal to Natal, Swaziland and Cape Province

[edit] Habitat

This is a highland species which is typically found along forest edges and in wooded areas (including gardens).

[edit] Behaviour

They hawk for flying insects

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist.
2. Avibase

• List of references

[edit] External Links