African Hill Babbler

Sylvia abyssinica

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernInvertebratesForestCup nestSmall · 19 g

What the African Hill Babbler sounds like

Sonogram of the African Hill Babbler: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Stephen Lowe · Song · Uluguru Mts. Above Tegetero Mission, Tanzania · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

ID tip

The African hill babbler is an arboreal robin-like forest bird with a thin bill, bright reddish brown back and a contrasting grey head and nape. The grey underparts are faintly marked with white streaks and the belly is paler than the breast. There is a yellowish tinge to the feathers on the flanks and the thighs. The brown eyes turn red, probably when the birds are breeding. The bill has a black upper mandible, a paler lower mandible and the legs are greyish blue. The African hill babbler weighs 14-25g and their length is 13–15 cm. Voice: The song of the African hill babbler is a rich, melodious warble and resembles the songs of thrushes and orioles and is composed of separated whistled phrases with frequent pitch changes, and may have some scratch notes and lower pitched whistles too.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the African Hill Babbler

One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is November, the month with the most records.

Where to see the African Hill Babbler

Regular rangeRare visitor

The map shades 11 countries with regular records, and 1 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

Recorded as a rare visitor in Congo - Kinshasa.

About the African Hill Babbler

The African hill babbler is a species of bird in the family Sylviidae.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

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