Cricket warbler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cricket warbler |
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The cricket warbler (Spiloptila clamans) is a small bird. It is also called the cricket longtail. Other names include scaly longtail or cricket prinia. This bird belongs to the Cisticolidae family. It is part of the Spiloptila group of birds. Usually, it's the only species in this group. Sometimes, the red-fronted prinia is also included.
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What Does the Cricket Warbler Look Like?
The cricket warbler is a small and lively bird. It has a long tail. This tail has twelve feathers. These feathers are grey, black, and white at the tips. The feathers get longer towards the middle. This makes the tail look "graduated."
Its upper body is a pale, reddish-brown color. It has black stripes on its head. The tips of its main wing feathers are black. Its lower back is a light yellow. It has a white stripe above its eye. Its belly and chest are a creamy white color. Male cricket warblers have a slightly greyer neck area. These birds are about 9 to 10 centimeters long.
Where Do Cricket Warblers Live?
The cricket warbler lives in the Sahel Zone. This area stretches across Africa. You can find them from southern Mauritania and northern Senegal. They live eastwards to South Sudan and northern Eritrea. Recently, they were found breeding in the Western Sahara. This was near a place called Oued Jenna.
What Kind of Places Do They Like?
Cricket warblers like to breed in thorny bushes. They especially like acacia bushes. They can even live in true deserts. But only if there are enough plants. They also live in savannas with broad-leafed trees. However, they avoid grassy plains. They also stay away from very thick bushes.
How Do Cricket Warblers Behave?
Cricket warblers are quite friendly birds. You often see them in small groups. These groups usually have about six birds. They move around a lot. They fly from one small bush to another.
When they are on the ground or sitting, they move their tail. They jerk it up and down. They also move it from side to side. While doing this, they make a sound. It sounds like a cricket. This sound is quite steady and repeated. They usually sing from a high spot.
These birds eat insects. They look for insects low down in thorny bushes. They also find them in clumps of grass. Some cricket warblers move around. Birds from the northern areas fly south. They do this during the dry season. They return north when the rains come. Breeding has been seen in July in Mali and Mauritania. They breed all year in Senegal. In South Sudan, they breed from January to April and again in August.
