Family Crombecs and allies (Macrosphenidae)
Least Concern
Red-capped Crombec (Sylvietta ruficapilla)
Taxonomy
French: Crombec à calotte rousse German: Rotohrsylvietta Spanish: Crombec orejirrufo
Taxonomy:
Sylvietta ruficapilla
Bocage
, 1877,Caconda, Benguela, Angola
.
Subspecies and Distribution
S. r. rufigenis
Reichenow, 1887 – extreme SE Gabon, Congo and SW DRCongo (E to Kasai).
S. r. makayii
C. M. N. White, 1953 – Malanje, in NC Angola.
S. r. ruficapilla
Bocage, 1877 – Red-capped Crombec – C & E Angola E to S DRCongo (SW Katanga).
S. r. gephyra
C. M. N. White, 1953 – S DRCongo (W Katanga E to R Lufira and Kambove) and NW Zambia (Mwinilunga S to Kalabo and Monkoya).
S. r. schoutedeni
C. M. N. White, 1953 – SE DRCongo (from W of L Tanganyika S to Marungu).
S. r. chubbi
Ogilvie-Grant, 1910 – Grey-capped Crombec – extreme SE DRCongo (SE Katanga), Zambia (except NW, SW, and valleys of middle Zambezi and Luangwa), W Malawi, and W Mozambique (NE Tete). Recorded in SW Tanzania (Tuyuku and Tatanda)#R.
Descriptive notes
c. 12 cm; 10–12 g. The largest crombec, with strong bill. Nominate race has forehead grey, crown to nape, cheek and ear-coverts tawny-chestnut; upperparts grey,... read more
Voice
Song a loud ringing “whit-wichity-whit-weeoo” and variations; in W Zambia, a far-carrying trill.... read more
Habitat
Wooded savanna, especially brachystegia (Brachystegia); sometimes thicker secondary... read more
Food and feeding
Insects. Forages mainly in tree canopy, but descends to undergrowth in areas where S. rufescens is absent. Often joins mixed-... read more
Breeding
Breeds at end of dry season and beginning of rains; Sept–Apr in DRCongo, Sept–Nov in Zambia, Oct in Malawi, Oct and Nov in... read more
Movements
Sedentary.
Status and conservation
Not globally threatened. Locally fairly common; uncommon in Gabon and PRCongo.
Apparently forms two groups, with chubbi and schoutedeni having greyish-washed vs rufous or pale olive-rufous crowns (2); weaker rufous ear-coverts and upper breast-patch (1); and possibly slightly paler grey upperparts (ns[1]); alternatively, nominate, gephyra and chubbi form one group with grey upperparts and whitish underparts while makayii, rufigenis and schoutedeni form a second group with olive-washed upperparts, yellowish underparts and yellow margins to primaries#R. Six subspecies recognized.