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Yellow Longbill Macrosphenus flavicans Scientific name definitions

David Pearson
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated January 1, 2006

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Originally Appeared in

HBW Alive

Field Identification

13 cm; 11–16 g. A medium-sized greenish-grey warbler with yellow underparts, short tail, and long straight bill with small hook at tip. Nominate race has top of head dark olive-grey, somewhat paler cheek and ear-coverts; upperparts and upperwing-coverts dark olive-green, becoming yellow-tinged on long loose erectile feathers of back and rump; flight-feathers and tail dark grey-brown, tinged and edged olive-green; chin and throat greyish, underparts greenish-yellow; iris yellow; bill black above, pale grey below; legs dark grey. Sexes alike in plumage, male larger than female. Juvenile is browner and more uniform above than adult, breast and flanks also browner. Race hypochondriacus is slightly less dark above than nominate, has chin and throat whitish, underparts richer olive-yellow, breast washed olive-grey, flanks tinged orange, undertail-coverts bright yellow.

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.

Often treated as conspecific with M. kempi, but their songs appear to differ where ranges overlap marginally in W Cameroon (1). Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies

SUBSPECIES

Macrosphenus flavicans flavicans Scientific name definitions

Distribution

extreme SE Nigeria, Bioko, and SW and S Cameroon S to lower R Congo and NW Angola (Cabinda, Cuanza Norte).
SUBSPECIES

Macrosphenus flavicans hypochondriacus Scientific name definitions

Distribution

SE Central African Republic, SW South Sudan (Bengangai Forest), N, C and E DRCongo, W and S Uganda and NW Tanzania (Minziro Forest).

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

Lower and middle levels of primary and secondary forest, including edges, clearings and logged areas. Mainly lowlands, but ranges to lower montane levels; 1000–1400 m in Uganda, and to 1800 m in E DRCongo.

Movement

Sedentary.

Diet and Foraging

Insects, including moths and caterpillars (Lepidoptera), orthopterans, beetles (Coleoptera); also spiders (Araneae); also some fruit. Forages among thick undergrowth and tangled creepers, also in lower canopy, especially during dry season. In pairs or in family groups, often with mixed-species parties.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Song, usually from high perch, a series of clear melancholy whistles (c. 2 per second), descending the scale, accelerating slightly at end, “hee-hee-hew-hew-hew-huu huu-hu-hu”; call a high-pitched “tsiss”.

Breeding

No information. Territorial.

Conservation Status

Conservation status on Birdlife LC Least Concern
Not globally threatened. Common in many areas of range. Two apparently discrete populations in forests of W & C Africa, each ranging widely. In NE Gabon, density 18–20 pairs/100 ha.
Distribution of the Yellow Longbill - Range Map
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  • Year-round
  • Migration
  • Breeding
  • Non-Breeding
Distribution of the Yellow Longbill

eBird and Macaulay Library

Recommended Citation

Pearson, D. (2020). Yellow Longbill (Macrosphenus flavicans), 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.yellon1.01
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