Rufous-eared warbler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rufous-eared warbler |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Cisticolidae |
| Genus: | Malcorus A. Smith, 1829 |
| Species: |
M. pectoralis
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| Binomial name | |
| Malcorus pectoralis A. Smith, 1829
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The rufous-eared warbler (Malcorus pectoralis) is a small bird that lives in parts of southern Africa. You can find it in Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa. It's the only bird in its group, called Malcorus. These birds like dry places with shrubland (bushes) and grassland.
Contents
About the Rufous-eared Warbler
The rufous-eared warbler was first officially described in 1829 by a scientist named Andrew Smith. This bird is the only member of its special group, or genus, called Malcorus. It lives in the dry areas of western southern Africa.
Scientists have discussed where this bird fits in the bird family tree. It is now part of the Cisticolidae family. This family includes many small, active birds. The rufous-eared warbler used to be in a different group, Prinia. But it was moved to its own group because it looks, acts, and has different genes from those birds.
Other names for this bird include the rufous-eared prinia. In Afrikaans, it's called the rooioorlangstertjie.
Types of Rufous-eared Warblers
There are three different types, or subspecies, of the rufous-eared warbler:
- M. p. pectoralis: This type lives in the southern parts of South Africa.
- M. p. ocularius: This type was described in 1843. It lives in southern Namibia, southern Botswana, and northern South Africa.
- M. p. etoshae: This type was found in 1965. It lives in northern Namibia.
What Does the Rufous-eared Warbler Look Like?
The rufous-eared warbler is a small bird. It gets its name from the reddish-brown patches on its ears. Its head and the back of its neck are brown with dark red streaks. The belly and neck are greyish-white.
Many of these birds have a black band across their chest. This band might disappear in adults during winter. Their back is a mix of greyish-brown and blackish-brown. Their eyes are reddish-brown, and their legs are pinkish. They have a black beak that is about 11–13 mm long.
The bird has a long, thin tail that it often holds straight up. The tail has 10 feathers, with the outer ones being shorter. These birds are small, about 15 cm long. Males usually weigh 10-12 grams, and females weigh 9-11 grams.
Male and female rufous-eared warblers look similar, but there are small differences. Females have lighter ear patches and a thinner chest band than males. Young birds are paler, with a whiter belly and a very thin or no chest band.
The M. p. ocularis subspecies is lighter in color. It has a more brownish-yellow face and whiter underparts. The M. p. etoshae subspecies is even paler than M. p. ocularis, with yellowish edges on its wings.
Where Rufous-eared Warblers Live
The rufous-eared warbler is found across southern Africa. It is a bird that only lives in this region. We don't know the exact number of these birds in the world. However, it is listed as "Least Concern" on the IUCN Red List. This means it is not currently at risk of disappearing because it lives in a very large area.
It lives in dry and semi-dry places. These areas have scrubby bushes and open grasslands with scattered bushes. You won't find it in Acacia karoo woodlands or the Namib desert. But it does live along the edges of the Namib desert, in bushes and along dry riverbeds. It especially likes the low scrub Karoo habitats.
These birds usually stay in one place. But they might move around a bit if there's a lot of rain. Even during dry times, their numbers don't change much. This shows they prefer to stay put rather than move when conditions are tough.
Rufous-eared Warbler Behavior
Social Life and Calls
Rufous-eared warblers often live in pairs or small family groups. This is especially true after the breeding season. You rarely find them alone. They make a tinkling sound, like “tzee tzee tzee tzee” or “zeep zeep zeep zeep.” They change how long and loud these calls are to talk to each other, mark their territory, or warn of danger. They also use an alarm call that sounds like “peeee.” Male birds often call from a high spot, like the top of a small bush.
These birds are generally shy. They like to hide deep inside bushes.
What Rufous-eared Warblers Eat
The rufous-eared warbler mainly eats insects. They enjoy shield bugs, plant hoppers, beetles, termites, ants, moths, and spiders. They also eat insect larvae. Sometimes, they will add seeds and fruits to their diet. Small beetles are a favorite food source for them.
Scientists have looked at what's in their stomachs. They found evidence of termites, weevils, caterpillars, beetles, plant hoppers, and spiders. They also found bits of plants, fruits, and seeds from certain types of plants. These birds mostly find their food on the ground and in low bushes. They pick insects off the leaves.
The rufous-eared warbler spends a lot of time on the ground. It runs quickly between patches of bushes for cover. It often flies low to the ground between bushes. Because of this, you might even mistake it for a small animal like a rodent!
Reproduction and Life Cycle
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Rufous-eared warblers usually breed in late summer (January - March) in South Africa. In Botswana, they might breed in July and October. They often breed when there has been recent rain. During breeding season, male birds are alone and protect their territory. They perch on top of bushes and call to attract females.
When a female comes to the bush, the male will do a special dance. He will jerk his body and tail and flutter his wings. The female will flick her wings back.
The nest is a messy, oval-shaped structure. It's made from grass stems, leaves, or strips of bark. The inside is lined with soft plant material before the eggs are laid. Birds often use spider webs to hold the nest together. The nests have an entrance on the side, near the top.
Rufous-eared warblers prefer to build their nests in bushes that don't have thorns. Nests are built 0.2-1.2 meters off the ground. They often face east, southeast, or south. This helps them avoid direct sunlight during the hottest parts of the day. It is thought that these birds stay with one partner. Sometimes, other birds might help them during the breeding season.
The eggs of the rufous-eared warbler are small and light blue. Usually, 3-7 eggs are laid in the nest. Each egg is about 11 x 15 mm. We don't know exactly what roles the male and female play during the 12–13 day incubation period. If a bird on the nest is disturbed, it will drop to the ground.
The baby birds, called nestlings, are born helpless. They have black markings inside a yellow mouth. The parents feed the young birds in the nest. The nestlings grow their feathers during this time. Both parents feed the young, mostly with grasshoppers and caterpillars. After 11 days, the young birds have all their feathers and are ready to leave the nest.
Many eggs and nestlings are eaten by predators. Snakes and armored bush crickets are common threats. The chance of a nest being attacked can be as high as 4.4% each day. Some observations show that baby birds are more likely to be eaten than eggs.
Images for kids
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Rufous-eared Warbler
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Rufous-eared warbler perching in a non-thorny shrub
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