Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird Pogoniulus chrysoconus Scientific name definitions

c. 10·5–12 cm; 8–20 g. Small, strong-billed, short-tailed tinkerbird with yellow-gold, black and white spotted and striped pattern, and yellow to orange fore­crown. Both sexes of nominate race with fine black band above bill, golden-yellow (rarely, more orange) forecrown, hindcrown streaked white on black; yellowish-white back streaks, yellowy wing markings; lemon-yellow throat and breast. Distinguished from very similar <em>P. pusillus</em> by forecrown colour. Immature lacks yellow patch on black forehead. Race xantho­s­tictus has smaller forehead patch, narrower white streaks on crown, green-yellow dorsal streaks, more gold in wings, is paler yellow with greenish tinge below; <em>extoni</em> larger, with broader black band in front of orange to gold frontal patch, and greyer underparts than N races.

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.

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.

Occupies dry scrub, Sahelian woodland and wooded grassland, and riverine woods ; also montane evergreen forest in Ethiopia; also found around pasture and remnant forest patches. Woodlands include those with Acacia, Brachystegia, Combretum, Terminalia and other trees. Occurs from sea-level up to c. 1500 m, but up to 1800 m in Malawi, and in Ethiopia above P. pusillus at 1600–3000 m.

Generally resident; some seasonal movement suspected in Nigeria.

Diverse fruits, especially mistletoe berries, figs, fruits of Uapaca nitida; fruit stones are regurgitated. Also flycatches for diverse insects, including beetles, and gleans for their larvae in foliage and on branches at all levels. Feeds alone or in pairs; very aggressive towards other tinkerbirds and small barbets. Joins mixed-species foraging flocks.

Nearly identical to P. pusillus; song long series of “pop” notes (occasional “honk” notes interjected) at 80–120 per minute for up to 11 minutes; piping trills of 5–8 notes per second for up to 20 seconds, also variable multiple piping trills each 1 second long and having 2–15 notes (either trill can switch to popping song, or used in response to latter); intermediate piping-popping calls also occur; common interactive call a grating “dddzzh”, intense interactions marked by fast, very high-pitched barrage of grating calls longer and slower than in P. pusillus; also single “dit” notes in loose series. Loud wing-fluttering during interactions.

May–Aug and Dec in Gambia and Mali, Feb–Nov in Nigeria; Mar–Oct in Sudan, Ethiopia and Uganda; Sept–Dec in W Kenya, Mar–Jun and Oct–Nov in Zaire; Aug–Jan, also May, in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Angola and South Africa. Male sings with forehead and rump feathers erected, tail flicked in time with notes; encounters with much wing-fluttering, erected frontal patch, side-to-side swinging with head high, emphasizing throat, or head low, emphasizing forehead patch, and may cock tail. Nest  excavated 2–5 m up in dead stub or branch, often on underside, in tree such as fig, frangipani, Acacia or Terminalia, entrance c. 2 cm. Eggs 2–3; incubation by both parents, for c. 12 days; both adults feed young, which egest fruit stones inside nest; nestling period c. 3 weeks.

Not globally threatened. Widespread, and common; locally common in W Kenya. Along with P. pusillus and P. bilineatus is the commonest tinkerbird. In some woodland areas, densities may reach up to 30–35 pairs/km². Seems to be fairly adaptable. Present in numerous national parks , e.g. W (Niger), Comoé (Ivory Coast), Bénoué (Cameroon), Murchison Falls and Lake Mburo (Uganda), Akagera (Rwanda), Ruvuvu (Burundi) and Mikumi (Tanzania).