Rufous eared warbler
Introduction: The monotonous, penetrating piping songs of the rufous-eared warbler (Malcorus pectoralis), can be heard when it perches from the top of a low bush or shrub in a Karoo or Kalahari habitat. They are also observed on the Namib Desert edge in shrubby type vegetation.
Distribution: Central and southern Namibia from Spitzkoppe southwards to the Orange River and Fish River Canyon, less for the Namib Desert. Etosha Pan supports an isolated population.
Diet: Gleans mostly invertebrates from low down on stems and leaves on bushes or on the ground. Eats caterpillars, beetles, ants, bugs, termites, ticks and spiders. Also takes fruits and seeds of Asparagus, honey-thorn and alien creeping saltbush.
Description: A small warbler with a long, graduated tail, held high when foraging on the ground. Other features include a bright red face patch with a prominent throat band. Pectoralis is a Greek phrase for 'pertaining to the throat'.
Breeding: A domed, dry grass nest is bound by spider web.
Size: 15cm.
Weight: 10g.
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