Rosy-throated longclaw

Appearance

Adult birds are 19–20 centimetres long with greyish-brown scalloped upper parts. The male has a pink throat and breast crossed with a broad black band across the chest, which is not evident outside of breeding season. Female birds have pink underparts, but lack the black band. Immature birds have mainly black-streaked pale brown underparts with some pink-red colour centrally.

Naming

The Marquis Léonce de Tarragon described the species in 1845, its specific name honouring either his wife or mother who were both named Amélie. Richard Bowdler Sharpe named this species "M. wintoni" in 1891 after William Edward de Winton. Common names include rosy-throated longclaw, pink-throated longclaw and rosy-breasted longclaw.

Three subspecies are recognized: "M. ameliae ameliae" from Mozambique, Swaziland and eastern South Africa, "M. ameliae wintoni" from southwestern Kenya and northern Tanzania, and "M. ameliae altanus" from Botswana, Angola, Malawi, southwestern Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Distribution

The rosy-throated longclaw is found in wet grasslands and flood plains, often with lower grasses. Found across central and eastern Africa, it is more patchily distributed in the south of the continent. It is restricted to the Okavango Delta, Linyanti Marshes and Chobe floodplains in Botswana and Namibia, the Zimbabwe highveld in Zimbabwe and coastal areas in Kwazulu-Natal.

Behavior

It makes a "chiteet" call, resembling that of a pipit.

Habitat

Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland.

Reproduction

Its occurrence in Kwazulu-Natal is threatened by coastal development. The rosy-throated longclaw breeds during the wet season from September to April.