Long-billed forest warbler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Long-billed forest warbler |
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| Conservation status | |
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| Genus: |
Artisornis
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| Species: |
moreaui
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| Synonyms | |
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The long-billed forest warbler (Artisornis moreaui) is a tiny songbird that lives in the forests of Tanzania and Mozambique. It's also called the long-billed tailorbird. This little bird is part of the Cisticolidae family. It prefers to live in warm, wet mountain forests. Sadly, its home is shrinking, which means this special bird is in danger.
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Discovering the Long-billed Forest Warbler
Who Discovered This Bird?
The long-billed forest warbler was officially described in 1931. A British zoologist named William Lutley Sclater was the first to write about it. He studied birds collected by Reginald Ernest Moreau. These birds were found in a forest near Amani in the Usambara Mountains of eastern Tanzania. Sclater named the bird Apalis moreaui to honor Moreau.
Bird Families and Names
Today, this warbler is grouped with the red-capped forest warbler. Both are in a bird group called Artisornis. This group was created in 1928 by an American bird expert, Herbert Friedmann.
Two Types of Long-billed Warblers
Scientists recognize two main types, or subspecies, of this bird:
- A. m. moreaui (Sclater, WL, 1931) – This type lives in northeast Tanzania.
- A. m. sousae (Benson, 1945) – This type is found in northwest Mozambique.
Some scientists even think A. m. sousae is a completely separate species, which they call the Mozambique forest warbler.
What Does This Bird Look Like?
The long-billed forest warbler is a small, round bird that's hard to spot. It grows to about 10 centimeters (4 inches) long. Its top feathers are greyish, and its belly is a lighter grey. Sometimes, its head has a brownish color.
Special Features
This bird has a long, thin beak. Its tail is also long and often sticks up when the bird is excited. It's easier to hear this bird than to see it! It makes a unique, metallic sound like "peedoo peedoo."
How It's Different from Similar Birds
The long-billed forest warbler looks a bit like the red-capped forest warbler (Artisornis metopias). But the red-capped warbler has a much shorter beak. It also has a more reddish-brown head and a reddish chest.
Where Do These Birds Live?
Tanzania's Special Forests
The moreaui subspecies lives only in the East Usambara plateau in Tanzania. You can find it in places like the Amani Nature Reserve and the Nilo Nature Reserve. The East Usambara plateau is very special because it has many unique plants and animals that live nowhere else. It's known as a "biodiversity hotspot."
Mozambique's Mountain Homes
The Mozambique forest warbler (Artisornis moreaui sousae) lives only in the Njesi Highlands of northern Mozambique. It makes its home in evergreen mountain forests and forests along rivers. These birds have been seen high up in the mountains, between 1,430 and 1,850 meters (4,690 and 6,070 feet) above sea level. They live on the Njesi Plateau, Mount Chitagal, and Mount Sanga. They like to stay in the middle and top parts of the trees, especially near open areas or where trees have fallen.
Protecting the Long-billed Forest Warbler
Why It's in Danger
The A. moreaui moreaui subspecies in Tanzania lives in a very small area, about 950 square kilometers (367 square miles). It's a rare bird and hard to find. Scientists believe there are only about 30 to 200 adult birds left. Because of this, the International Union for Conservation of Nature says it is "critically endangered." This means it's at a very high risk of disappearing forever. If scientists find more of these birds, its status might improve.
The Mozambique Population
The Mozambique forest warbler population is estimated to have between 50 and 249 adult birds. This number seems to be stable. This subspecies is also considered endangered because of its small population and limited home range.
Separated by Distance
In 1945, another British bird expert, Constantine Walter Benson, found a second group of these birds. They were collected by Jali Makawa in the Njesi Highlands of northern Mozambique. Benson decided these Mozambique birds were a subspecies, Apalis moreaui sousae. The Njesi Highlands and the Usambara Plateau are about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) apart. The bird is not known to live in the area between these two places. This is why some scientists now treat the Mozambique birds as a separate species.
