African yellow warbler

Appearance

The African yellow warbler is a medium-sized warbler in which the whole of the upperparts and tail are yellowish-brown, with a slightly browner crown and yellower rump. The wings have brown feathers edged with yellow. The underparts are bright yellow with an olive wash on the sides of the breast, flanks and lower belly. The bill is pale on the upper mandible and blackish on the lower, and the legs are blackish. Females have duller underparts, and the juveniles are similar to the males but are buffier. The total length is 13 cm and the birds weigh between 10 and 15 g.

Naming

This species was originally placed in the genus "Chloropeta" alongside the "mountain yellow warbler" but molecular studies have shown that it is closely related to the clade of palearctic bush warblers that were formerly in the genus "Hippolais" and also the previously "incertae sedis" thick-billed warbler.There are currently four recognised subspecies and they and their distribution are set out below:

⤷ "Iduna natalensis batesi" : Nigeria east to northern Democratic Republic of Congo and western South Sudan.
⤷ "Iduna natalensis massaica" : western and southern Ethiopia, eastern South Sudan, north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, western and southern Kenya and north-western and north-eastern Tanzania.
⤷ "Iduna natalensis major" – Gabon east to southern Democratic Republic of Congo, south to Angola and northern Zambia.
⤷ "Iduna natalensis natalensis" : southern Tanzania, Malawi, southern Zambia, northern and eastern Zimbabwe, north-western & western Mozambique, eastern South Africa from the east of Limpopo south to the central Eastern Cape, and Eswatini.

Distribution

This species was originally placed in the genus "Chloropeta" alongside the "mountain yellow warbler" but molecular studies have shown that it is closely related to the clade of palearctic bush warblers that were formerly in the genus "Hippolais" and also the previously "incertae sedis" thick-billed warbler.There are currently four recognised subspecies and they and their distribution are set out below:

⤷ "Iduna natalensis batesi" : Nigeria east to northern Democratic Republic of Congo and western South Sudan.
⤷ "Iduna natalensis massaica" : western and southern Ethiopia, eastern South Sudan, north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, western and southern Kenya and north-western and north-eastern Tanzania.
⤷ "Iduna natalensis major" – Gabon east to southern Democratic Republic of Congo, south to Angola and northern Zambia.
⤷ "Iduna natalensis natalensis" : southern Tanzania, Malawi, southern Zambia, northern and eastern Zimbabwe, north-western & western Mozambique, eastern South Africa from the east of Limpopo south to the central Eastern Cape, and Eswatini.

Habitat

The African yellow warbler is a bird of rank vegetation and occurs in reeds, overgrown waterside vegetation and forest edges, especially where these are integrated with wetter vegetation.