Red-capped forest warbler explained

The red-capped forest warbler (Artisornis metopias), also known as the African tailorbird, is a songbird of the family Cisticolidae, formerly part of the "Old World warbler" assemblage. It is found in Mozambique and Tanzania. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests from 1600 to 2500 m.^[1]

Taxonomy

The red-capped forest warbler was formally described in 1907 by the German ornithologist Anton Reichenow from a specimen collected in the Usambara Mountains of Tanzania. Reichenow coined the binomial name Prinia metopias.^[2] The specific epithet is from the Ancient Greek metōpias meaning "having a high forehead".^[3] This warbler is now placed with the long-billed forest warbler in the genus Artisornis that was introduced in 1928 by the American ornithologist Herbert Friedmann.^{[4] [5]}

Two subspecies are recognised:^[5]

• A. m. metopias (Reichenow, 1907) – northeast Tanzania to northwest Mozambique
• A. m. altus (Friedmann, 1927) – Uluguru Mountains (east Tanzania)

Description

The red-capped forest warbler is olive-brown above with a whitish color from the center of the throat to the vent, and with flanks that are washed grey. The crown is a rich chestnut brown, as well as the ear-coverts and the sides of the neck. Immature individuals have a pale yellow wash on their undersides. The average adult is 10 cm long and has a mass of approximately 8.4 g.^[6]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Birdlife International . Red-capped Forest Warbler Artisornis metopias: Data table and detailed info. Birdlife International . 10 March 2018 . 2018.
2. Reichenow . Anton . Anton Reichenow . 1907 . Neue Vogelarten . Ornithologische Monatsberichte . 15 . 29–31 [30] . German .
3. Book: Jobling, James A. . 2010. The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names . Christopher Helm . London . 978-1-4081-2501-4 . 252 .
4. Friedmann . Herbert . Herbert Friedmann . 1928 . VI. A collection of birds from the Uluguru and the Usambara Mountains, Tanganyika Territory . Ibis . 70 . 1 . 74–99 [93] . 10.1111/j.1474-919X.1928.tb08710.x .
5. Web site: Gill . Frank . Frank Gill (ornithologist) . Donsker . David . Rasmussen . Pamela . Pamela Rasmussen . January 2022 . Grassbirds, Donacobius, tetrakas, cisticolas, allies . IOC World Bird List Version 12.1 . International Ornithologists' Union . 24 May 2022 .
6. Book: Stevenson . Terry . Fanshawe . John . 2002 . Birds of East Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi . Princeton, New Jersey . Princeton Field Guides . 978-0-691-12665-4 . 380.