Short-billed Crombec Sylvietta philippae Scientific name definitions

8 cm; 9–10 g. A short-billed grey crombec with yellowish underparts. Top of head and upperparts are ash-grey; narrow whitish supercilium above dark grey lores and facial mask; upperwing and stumpy tail greyish-brown, flight-feathers with narrow pale edges; chin and throat white, breast to undertail-coverts pale yellow, suffused grey-brown on breast and flanks; iris brown; bill grey, pinkish base of lower mandible; legs brownish-red. Sexes alike. Juvenile apparently undescribed.

NW, C & SW Somalia (from Burao and Daba Dalol S to around Wajit and Lugh) and adjacent S & SE Ethiopia.

Acacia (Acacia) thickets and Commiphora scrub in arid bushland, mainly on rocky ground or red sandy soil; on inland plateau mainly at c. 300 m, but ranging up to 900 m.

Sedentary.

Tiny beetles (Coleoptera) and other insects, including small caterpillars. Forages usually in small groups, often together with other warblers. Searches branches, leaves and flowers, especially those of acacias.

Song a repeated “ti-chirr-cheesis”, middle note higher; calls “chirr” and loud “chink”.

Breeds May–Jun. No other information.

Not globally threatened. Currently considered Data Deficient. Judged to be fairly common within its small and restricted range. Appears to be restricted to more dense areas of thicket and therefore could be sensitive to habitat alteration caused by fuelwood collection or grazing. Exploitation of its scrub habitat for charcoal production and extraction of gum and resin may be a threat at one site in Ethiopia BirdLife International (2015) Species factsheet: Sylvietta philippae. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 11/11/2015. . Lack of information precludes a robust assessment of its conservation status. Further information on abundance and sensitivity to habitat disturbance required (1 Butchart, S. H. M. (2007). Birds to find: a review of ‘lost’, obscure and poorly known African bird species. Bulletin of the African Bird Club 14(2):139–157. Close ).