Stierling's Wren-Warbler Calamonastes stierlingi Scientific name definitions

13 cm; male 12–14 g, female 11–13 g. A richly coloured woodland warbler with finely barred underparts. Nominate race has indistinct pale supercilium; crown, ear-coverts and upperparts rich rufous-brown, washed olive-brown on crown; median and greater upperwing-coverts tipped whitish (forming two faint wingbars); tail dark brown, finely barred darker brown, feathers edged rufous and outer feathers tipped pale buff; lores finely speckled black and white, merging into blackish-brown and white barring on throat and breast ; barring broader and slightly less crisp on belly; undertail-coverts buffy, barred dark brown; iris orange-brown; bill black; legs brownish-pink. Differs from C. undosus and C. fasciolatus in warmer rufous-brown upperparts, whitish underparts with clearer barring. Sexes alike. Juvenile is more reddish-brown above, underparts washed yellowish, bill brown with black tip. Race irwini has redder upperparts and whiter underparts, barring heavier and bolder than nominate; <em>pintoi</em> is slightly larger, reddish above, but underparts darker and barring less pronounced than previous; olivascens has darker, more olivaceous underparts than nominate.

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• Miombo x Stierling's Wren-Warbler (hybrid) Calamonastes undosus x stierlingi

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.

Diet mainly insects. Occurs singly, in pairs or in family groups. Forages by gleaning from leaves and twigs, mostly low down and on the ground , but also from canopy edge of small acacia trees. Flies into canopy if disturbed.

Male song a high-pitched, 3-note or 4-note galloping “tillillup tillillup tillillup” or “biririt biririt biririt”, delivered at 2–3·6 notes per second, repeated monotonously. Also gives muffled “prreee” and bleating “maaa”; alarm a sharp “tsik”.