Neumann's warbler (Hemitesia neumanni), also known as Neumann's short-tailed warbler, is a species of bird in the family Cettiidae. It is found in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forest.

Neumann's warbler
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Cettiidae
Genus: Hemitesia
Species:
H. neumanni
Binomial name
Hemitesia neumanni
(Rothschild, 1908)
Synonyms
  • Urosphena neumanni
  • Sylvietta neumanni (protonym)

Taxonomy edit

Neumann's warbler was formally described in 1908 by the English zoologist Water Rothschild from specimens collected in a forested area west of Lake Tanganyika. He proposed the binomial name Sylvietta neumanni.[2][3] Neumann's warbler is now placed with the pale-footed bush warbler in the genus Hemitesia that was introduced in 1948 by James Chaplin.[4][5] The genus name combines the Ancient Greek hēmi- meaning "half-" or "small" with the genus Teslia that had been introduced by Brian Hodgson in 1837. The specific epithet neumanni was chosen to honour the German ornithologist Oscar Neumann.[6] The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.[5]

Neumann's warbler is the only species in the family Cettiidae that is found in Africa.[7]

Distribution and habitat edit

This warbler lives in thick undergrowth of montane forest, often near streams, in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, southwest Uganda, western Rwanda and western Burundi.[8]

Description edit

Neumann's warbler is a small bird with an overall length of 10–11 cm (3.9–4.3 in) and a weight of 11.3 g (0.40 oz). It has a large head with a distinctive striped pattern and a very short tail. The broad supercilium is grey-brown and present in front of the eye as a dull greenish and white pattern.[8]

The voice is a loud song ("tee-tiyoo-tee", "tee-tyer-tyii", "tyoowi-tyee", "tee-teeyoo-tyoowi" or "tay-tiyoo-tay") intermixing with almost inaudible lipsing notes, and is repeated at regular intervals.[8]

References edit

  1. ^ BirdLife International (2016). "Hemitesia neumanni". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22715145A94442067. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  2. ^ Rothschild, Walter (1908). "The Hon. Walter Rothschild exhibited and described an example of a new species of Crombec, which he proposed to name". Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club. 23: 42.
  3. ^ Mayr, Ernst; Cottrell, G. William, eds. (1986). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 11. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 215.
  4. ^ Chapin, James P. (1948). "Hemitesia" (PDF). The Auk. 65 (2): 292. doi:10.2307/4080309. JSTOR 4080309.
  5. ^ a b Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (August 2022). "Cupwings, crombecs, bush warblers, Streaked Scrub Warbler, yellow flycatchers, hylias". IOC World Bird List Version 12.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  6. ^ Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. pp. 189, 269. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
  7. ^ Irestedt, M.; Gelang, M.; Sangster, G.; Olsson, U.; Ericson, P.G.P.; Alström, P. (2011). "Neumann's Warbler Hemitesia neumanni (Sylvioidea): the sole African member of a Palaeotropic Miocene avifauna". Ibis. 153 (1): 78–86. doi:10.1111/j.1474-919X.2010.01084.x.
  8. ^ a b c del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J., eds. (2006). "Neumann's warbler". Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 11: Old Word flycatchers to Old World Warblers. Barcelona, Spain: Lynx Edicions. p. 586. ISBN 978-84-96553-06-4.