The brown-throated wattle-eye (Platysteira cyanea), also known as the common wattle-eye or scarlet-spectacled wattle-eye, is a small, insectivorous passerine bird. The wattle-eyes were previously classed as a subfamily of the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae, but are now usually separated from that group.
| Brown-throated wattle-eye | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Platysteiridae |
| Genus: | Platysteira |
| Species: | P. cyanea
|
| Binomial name | |
| Platysteira cyanea (Müller, 1776)
| |
This species breeds in west, central and northeast tropical Africa. This common species is found in secondary forest and other woodland areas, including gardens. The eggs are laid in a small neat lichen and cobweb cup low in a tree or bush.
The adult brown-throated wattle-eye is a stout bird about 14 cm (5.5 in) long. The breeding male has glossy black upperparts, and white underparts with a neat black breast band. There is a strong white wingbar, and fleshy red wattles above the eye.
The females are grey-black above, and also have the white wing bar and red wattles. There is a small patch of white below the bill, and the throat and breast are maroon, separated from the white belly by the black breast band. Young males are washed-out, greyer versions of the female.
These active insect-eating birds are found in pairs or small groups. The ringing call of the brown-throated wattle-eye is a very characteristic six note doo-dd-dum-di-do-do.
Gallery
edit-
Brown-throated wattle-eye, Gambia -
Male photographed at Bwindi, SW. Uganda -
Female Common Wattle-eye (Platysteira cyanea), Uganda
.jpg)
References
edit
- ^ BirdLife International (2016). "Platysteira cyanea". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22707924A94142236. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22707924A94142236.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
- Birds of The Gambia by Barlow, Wacher and Disley, ISBN 1-873403-32-1