- Sphenoeacus afer
Cape Grass Warbler
Identification
Length 19-23 cm, mass 27-34 g. Adult: Crown and ear coverts rusty red, streaked black on hindcrown and nape. There are two black malar stripes on each side of the pale buff throat. The back is black streaked buff and the rump is rufous. The underparts are buff with black streaks on the flanks. The tail is rufous and fairly long, often looking untidy as the retrices have pointed tips. Immature: Similar to the adult, but duller, and with dark streaks on the crown.
Distribution
Southern Africa: Southern and eastern South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, eastern Zimbabwe highlands and adjacent Mozambique highlands.
Taxonomy
The only species in the genus Sphenoeacus. Recent molecular studies indicate that this species is one of a group of African warblers which includes the Sylvietta crombecs, Rockrunner Achaetops pycnopygius, Victorin's Scrub Warbler Cryptillus (or Bradypterus) victorini, and Yellow Longbill Macrosphenus flavicans (Beresford et al. 2005).
There are four subspecies based on size and the varying intensity of the colour of the upperparts and of the streaking of the underparts.
Habitat
Rank and shrubby grasslands, Restio fynbos, bracken and heath.
Behaviour
Generally inconspicuous as it forages on the ground in rank vegetation, but in the early morning frequently sunbathes on, or calls from, a prominent perch.
References
Beresford P, Barker FK, Ryan PG & Crowe T M 2005. African endemics span the tree of songbirds (Passeri): molecular systematics of several evolutionary ‘enigmas’. Proc. R. Soc. B 272, 849–858.
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
