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Black-headed Apalis Apalis melanocephala Scientific name definitions

Peter Ryan
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated January 1, 2006

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Originally Appeared in

HBW Alive

Field Identification

12–14 cm; 8–10 g. A forest apalis, dark above and pale below, with long and graduated tail. Male nominate race has blackish head, upperparts and upperwing, washed brown on lower back, rump tinged olive; tail blackish with whitish tips (from below, appears black with white scalloping); lores, cheek and ear-coverts black or blackish, contrasting sharply with white throat; underparts creamy white; iris yellowish-grey; bill and mouth black; legs flesh-pink. Differs from A. chirindensis or A. cinerea in having more contrast between pale eye, black face and white throat. Female is slightly paler and more olive-tinged above than male. Juvenile is olive-brown above, with yellowish wash on throat, belly and flanks, bill pale horn-coloured. Races vary subtly, mainly in plumage tone, and tail length generally longer in inland populations: male nigrodorsalis is browner above, female more olive above than nominate; moschi is paler grey above; muhuluensis is blackish above; tenebricosa has sooty-black upperparts and greyish flanks; fuliginosa is greyer above, with olive-washed rump; adjacens has dark grey upperparts, creamy-white underparts; lightoni is paler, lead-grey above, sexes alike; addenda is darker above than last, with buffy wash on throat.

Systematics History

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Nine subspecies recognized.

Subspecies

SUBSPECIES

Apalis melanocephala melanocephala Scientific name definitions

Apalis melanocephala melanocephala
A. m. melanocephala +1

Distribution

S Somalia, coastal Kenya and NE Tanzania (including E Usambara Mts).
SUBSPECIES

Apalis melanocephala nigrodorsalis Scientific name definitions

Distribution

C Kenyan highlands.
SUBSPECIES

Apalis melanocephala moschi Scientific name definitions

Apalis melanocephala moschi
A. m. moschi

Distribution

SE Kenya (Taita Hills) and Tanzanian highlands (S to Udzungwa Mts).
SUBSPECIES

Apalis melanocephala muhuluensis Scientific name definitions

Distribution

SE Tanzania.
SUBSPECIES

Apalis melanocephala adjacens Scientific name definitions

Distribution

E Malawi highlands (except Mulanje and Thyolo).
SUBSPECIES

Apalis melanocephala fuliginosa Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Mt Mulanje and Mt Thyolo, in SE Malawi.
SUBSPECIES

Apalis melanocephala lightoni Scientific name definitions

Distribution

C Mozambique and adjacent E Zimbabwe.
SUBSPECIES

Apalis melanocephala tenebricosa Scientific name definitions

Apalis melanocephala tenebricosa
A. m. tenebricosa

Distribution

N Mozambique (Njesi Plateau, Mt Namuli and Mt Chiperone).
SUBSPECIES

Apalis melanocephala addenda Scientific name definitions

Apalis melanocephala addenda
A. m. addenda

Distribution

S Mozambique (S of R Save, including Bazaruto I).

Distribution

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Habitat

Wide range of forest habitats, including lowland and montane forest, riverine forest, coastal scrub, sand forest, and even stunted secondary miombo woodland. Favours areas with tangles of creepers, mainly in canopy and middle strata of tall trees in S of range, but mainly in understorey on Mt Kilimanjaro (N Tanzania). Sea-level to 2000 m in Kenya; wanders to 2200 m on Mt Mulanje, in Malawi, but usually below 1500 m; only below 500 m in S Mozambique, where range meets that of A. chirindensis.

Movement

Presumably mostly resident; some evidence of movement to lower elevations on Mt Mulanje (S Malawi) in winter.

Diet and Foraging

Eats insects, including grasshopper nymphs (Orthoptera), caterpillars (Lepidoptera) and small flies (Diptera); occasionally seeds. Occurs singly, in pairs or in small family groups; often joins mixed-species bird parties. Forages mainly in upper levels of trees. Gleans items from bark, leaves, flowers and buds, chasing disturbed insects; sometimes short aerial pursuits. Takes flies attracted to ripe fruits.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Male song (coastal populations) a series of simple “sweep” or “wheet wee wee wee…” calls, or (inland populations) of more complex 2-note or 3-note “chiri” or “chiririt” calls, repeated monotonously in short or long series; female often calls with male, giving similar sequence. Contact call a quiet “seet” or “peep”; also gives soft, almost inaudible trill; alarm “puit”. Warbles softly during courtship display.

Breeding

Breeds Apr–Jul in E Africa, Oct–Nov in Malawi and Zimbabwe. Probably monogamous; solitary, territorial (probably throughout year). In courtship, partners face each other in upright pose, body extended, tail raised vertically, and calling softly; male then jumps straight up for 1 m, maintaining rigid posture, before dropping back to perch. Nest oval, with side entrance at top, built of fine grey, leafy lichens and some Usnea lichen, lined with white, silky seed pappuses, bound to supports with spider web, 4–7 m (usually 5–6 m) up in outer foliage of tree, well hidden by surrounding leaves. Clutch 2–3 eggs, rarely 1; no information on incubation and fledging periods.

Conservation Status

Conservation status on Birdlife LC Least Concern
Not globally threatened. Locally common. Densities of up to 1 pair/ha in S Malawi and 0·9 birds/ha (0·3 pairs/ha) in Tanzania (Udzungwa). Tolerates some habitat disturbance; found to occur at higher densities in disturbed forests in Udzungwa Mts, in Tanzania.
Distribution of the Black-headed Apalis - Range Map
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Distribution of the Black-headed Apalis

eBird and Macaulay Library

Recommended Citation

Ryan, P. (2020). Black-headed Apalis (Apalis melanocephala), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.blhapa1.01
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