From Opus

Alternative names: Abyssinian Hill Babbler; Mountain Babbler; Hill Akalat

Nominate subspecies
Photo by megan perkins
Castle Forest Lodge, Mt Kenya, Kenya

Pseudoalcippe abyssinica

Illadopsis abyssinica
Includes Ruwenzori Hill Babbler

[edit] Identification

13 - 15cm. A bird with marked racial variation.

• Upperparts and tertial rich brown
• Upperwing and tail dark brown with rich brown fringes
• Nominate with grey head, grey breast and vent and whitish-grey throat
• Stierlingi with blackish-grey crown and head sides, whitish trhoat and breast with grey streaks
• Atriceps with black head, contrasting sharply with brown wings, and grey breast and vent

[edit] Similar species

Mountain Illadopsis is very similar but has a gradual (not sharp) demarcation of crown and mantle colour. Also differs in voice and behaviour.

[edit] Distribution

Sub-Saharan Africa
Western Africa: Guinea, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola
Eastern Africa: Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi
African Islands: Gulf of Guinea Islands, Bioko (Fernando Po) Common in parts of its range.

[edit] Taxonomy

Has also been placed in genus Illadopsis. Clements² accepts six subspecies:

• P. a. abyssinica in Ethiopia, Sudan, eastern Uganda, south-western Tanzania, south-eastern Zaire and Angola
• P. a. monachus on Mount Cameroon in Cameroon
• P. a. claudei on Bioko
• P. a. atriceps from Nigeria to Cameroon, in eastern Zaire, Rwanda and western Uganda
• P. a. stierlingi in eastern and southern Tanzania
• P. a. stictigula in Malawi and northern Mozambique

P. a. triceps is often regarded as full species, Ruwenzori Hill Babbler, Pseudalcippe atriceps.¹

[edit] Habitat

Dry forests, moist montane forests, and moist shrubland.

[edit] Behaviour

Feeds on insects like bark beetles or caterpillars and molluscs. Takes also small berries, fruits and seeds.
Forages in undergrowth and liana-rich middle-stratum thickets where it gleans its prey from twigs and leaves, sometimes hovering. Usually seen singly or in pairs, sometimes in small groups.
Breeding season differs through range. The nest is a small basket or cup made of dry twigs and woven with fine dry stalks or moss or beard lichen. Lays 2 eggs.
Resident species.

[edit] References

1. Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2007. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 12: Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553422
2. Clements, JF. 2007. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2007. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019

• List of references

[edit] External Links