Red-winged grey warbler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Red-winged grey warbler |
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| Illustration by Joseph Smit (1880) | |
| Conservation status | |
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| Genus: |
Drymocichla
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| Species: |
incana
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The Red-winged Grey Warbler (scientific name: Drymocichla incana) is a small bird. It lives in Central Africa. This bird is mostly gray with a white belly. It has a long tail. Young warblers have a small orange spot on their wings. You can find them in swamps and savannas. They usually breed during the rainy season.
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What Does the Red-winged Grey Warbler Look Like?
This warbler is quite small. It stands about 13 centimeters (5 inches) tall. It weighs around 10 grams, which is about the same as two quarters. Its back is light gray. Its belly is white. When it spreads its wings, you can see brown and red feathers.
The Red-winged Grey Warbler has small pink legs. It has a sharp, short black beak. There is white around its eyes. Light gray feathers cover its forehead. It is known for its long, black tail. Young warblers have a small red mark on their outer wings. Male and female warblers look very similar. This makes it hard to tell them apart. These birds usually live for about four and a half years.
Where Does the Red-winged Grey Warbler Live?
The Red-winged Grey Warbler is a small bird. It eats mostly insects. It belongs to the Cisticolidae bird family. You can often spot it in wet savannas. It also lives in swampy tropical areas of Central Africa. You might find it in countries like Cameroon, Nigeria, and Uganda. This bird likes to live where there are many plants. It also prefers places close to water.
Is the Red-winged Grey Warbler in Danger?
This bird lives across a very large area. Experts have looked at how many there are. They do not think this bird is in danger. Its living space is big. It does not show signs of shrinking. Its habitat is also healthy.
The Red-winged Grey Warbler is not globally threatened. However, these birds are hard to find. They are not seen very often. There have been very few sightings of this bird. This is true even in national parks in Africa.
How Does the Red-winged Grey Warbler Behave?
What Does the Red-winged Grey Warbler Eat?
The Red-winged Grey Warbler mainly eats insects. It especially likes beetles, spiders, and tiny insect larvae. It catches its food while flying. It might fly through plants or hover in the air. This way of hunting helps it find its prey. This small bird needs its insect diet to survive. It also helps keep its ecosystem balanced.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Male and female Red-winged Grey Warblers breed during the rainy season. This is usually from spring (around May) to fall (October). To show they are a pair, they often sing together.
When young warblers hatch, they look a bit different. They have a reddish patch on their wings. Their belly is reddish. The base of their beak is yellowish.
Red-winged Grey Warbler Songs and Calls
Male birds are known for their loud and lively singing. They often make sounds like "chwee" or "chwit weer-weer-weer." Sometimes they repeat a note to make their song longer. Female birds make a repeating "tchwee" sound. When male and female birds are paired, they sometimes sing together. The female bird usually starts this duet.
