Silverbird

Empidornis semipartitus

Photo by Jacek Nalepa (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
silverbird (en); papa-moscas-prateado (pt); gobemouche argenté (fr); papamoscas plateado (es); silberschnäpper (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae

Range:
This species is found in East Africa from southern Sudan and Ethiopia, through South Sudan and Uganda and into western Kenya and northern Tanzania.

Size:
These birds are 18 cm long.

Habitat:
Silverbirds are mostly found in semi-arid Acacia savannas, but also in dry scrublands and grasslands, as well as rural gardens.

Diet:
They feed on small insects, caterpillars and spiders, as well as some seeds and grain.

Breeding:
Silverbirds are probably monogamous and both sexes help incubate and feed the young. Clutch size is 2-3 eggs but there is no information regarding the length of the incubation and fledging periods.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is described as locally common to abundant although scarce at the northern limit of its range in Sudan and Ethiopia. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.