Barred Wren-Warbler - BirdForum Opus

Photo by AdamRiley
nr Etosha National Park, Namibia, July, 2011

Calamonastes fasciolatus

Identification

Length 15 cm, mass 11-14 g
Breeding male: Brown crown and back, dark brown throat and upper breast, remainder of underparts buffy white barred grey. Brown eye, black bill, pink legs.
Female and non-breeding male: Similar to the breeding male, but all under parts are brownish white barred dusky (except plain brown undertail coverts).

Distribution

Southern Africa: North-central South Africa, Botswana, central and northern Namibia, south-western Angola.

Taxonomy

Subspecies

There are 3 subspecies^[1]:

• C. f. pallidior:

• South-western Angola

• C. f. fasciolatus:

• Central Namibia to Botswana, Zimbabwe and northern Cape Province

• C. f. europhilus:

• South-eastern Botswana to Zimbabwe (southern Matabeleland) and Transvaal

Habitat

Dry woodland, savanna and thornveld regions.

Behaviour

Breeding

They "sew" their nests together by binding and stitching leaves with spider web. The nest is ball-shaped, with side entrance, completely covered by leaves and often decorated with cocoons, concealed in a grass tuft or low shrub. Two to three white eggs are laid.

Diet

The diet includes seeds and invertebrates.

References

1. Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
2. Hockey PAR, Dean WRJ & Ryan PG (eds) 2005. Robert's Birds of Southern Africa, 7th edition. John Voelcker Bird Book Fund, Cape Town, South Africa. ISBN 0620340533
3. BirdInfo

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Barred Wren-Warbler. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 4 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Barred_Wren-Warbler

External Links

Search for photos of Barred Wren-Warbler in the gallery