The cryptic warbler (''Cryptosylvicola randrianasoloi'') is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

Malagasy warbler The tetrakas, also known as the Malagasy warblers, are a recently validated family of songbirds. They were formally named Bernieridae in 2010. The family currently consists of eleven species (in eight genera) of small forest birds. These birds ...

in the family

Bernieridae The tetrakas, also known as the Malagasy warblers, are a recently validated family of songbirds. They were formally named Bernieridae in 2010. The family currently consists of eleven species (in eight genera) of small forest birds. These birds ...

. It was formerly placed in the

Old World warbler The Old World warblers are a large group of birds formerly grouped together in the bird family Sylviidae. They are not closely related to the New World warblers. The family held over 400 species in over 70 genera, and were the source of much taxo ...

family

Sylviidae Sylviidae is a family of passerine birds that includes the typical warblers ''Sylvia'', and closely related genus '' Curruca'', formerly included in ''Sylvia''. They are found in Eurasia and Africa, with the greatest diversity in the Mediterrane ...

. It was first discovered in 1992 near the

Analamazaotra Special Reserve Analamazaotra National Park is a national park of Madagascar. The park is in the eastern portion of Madagascar's Central Highlands. The neighbouring Analamazaotra Forest Station is a local reforestation effort. It adjoins Andasibe-Mantadia Na ...

Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...

, and is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to the forests on the eastern part of island between

Anjanaharibe-Sud Special Reserve Anjanaharibe-Sud Special Reserve is a nature reserve, wildlife reserve in the north-east of Madagascar. The reserve was designated in 1958 and contains some of the last intact primary rainforest, along with several, rare and Endemism, endemic anima ...

and

Andohahela National Park The Andohahela National Park is situated in Anosy in the south-east of Madagascar. It is remarkable for the extremes of habitats that are represented within it. The park covers of the Anosy mountain range, the southernmost spur of the Malagasy H ...

Taxonomy and systematics

The cryptic warbler was first identified as a new species in November 1992, when an unknown

passerine A passerine () is any bird of the order Passeriformes (; from Latin 'sparrow' and '-shaped') which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds, passerines generally have an anisodactyl arrangement of their ...

was photographed, tape recorded and collected from Maromizaha Forest, Eastern Madagascar. Seven days later, the same species was tape recorded at

Ranomafana National Park Ranomafana National Park is a national park in southeastern Madagascar, in the Haute Matsiatra and Vatovavy regions. It was established as Madagascar's fourth national park in 1991 following the rediscovery of the greater bamboo lemur (''Hap ...

. Additionally, two specimens of the unknown species were collected from Andrigitra Forest a year later in 1993. The species was later described from these specimens as belonging to a new genus and species, ''Cryptosylvicola randrianasoloi''. The generic name ''Cryptosylvicola'' was formed from Greek ''Kryptos'', meaning hidden, Latin ''silva'', meaning forest and Latin ''cola'', meaning inhabitant. The name therefore translates to "hidden forest inhabitant". The specific epithet ''randrianasoloi'' honors the Malagasy

ornithologist Ornithology, from Ancient Greek ὄρνις (''órnis''), meaning "bird", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study", is a branch of zoology dedicated to the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related discip ...

Georges randrianasolo Georges may refer to: Places *Georges River, New South Wales, Australia *Georges Quay (Dublin) *Georges Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania Other uses *Georges (name) * ''Georges'' (novel), a novel by Alexandre Dumas * "Georges" (song), a 1977 ...

. The cryptic warbler was initially placed in the family Sylviidae based on its resemblance to other members of the family. However, it was later discovered through genetic study that it belongs to the Bernieridae, an endemic family of birds to Madagascar. Within the family, it forms an outgroup to a clade containing the long-billed berneria and

white-throated oxylabes The white-throated oxylabes (''Oxylabes madagascariensis'') is a species of passerine bird that is endemic to Madagascar. It is the only species placed in the genus ''Oxylabes''. Formerly considered as a member of the Old World warbler family Syl ...

Description

The cryptic warbler is a small passerine with an olive-green back and grayish yellow underside. It has a relatively indistinctive

supercilium The supercilium is a plumage feature found on the heads of some bird species. It is a stripe which runs from the base of the bird's beak above its eye, finishing somewhere towards the rear of the bird's head.Dunn and Alderfer (2006), p. 10 Also k ...

and eyestripe. The upper bill is dark and the lower bill is pale pink. On average, adults measure from bill tip to the end of the tail, and weigh .

Habitat

Although found in many habitats, the cryptic warbler prefers evergreen, humid

rain forest Rainforests are forests characterized by a closed and continuous tree Canopy (biology), canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforests can be generally classified as tropi ...

between elevation. It can be found in the canopy and sub-canopy of trees and shrubs between off the ground, with a diet consisting of

insect Insects (from Latin ') are Hexapoda, hexapod invertebrates of the class (biology), class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (Insect morphology#Head, head, ...

s. Its breeding season lasts from October to December.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1588019 Malagasy warblers

cryptic warbler The cryptic warbler (''Cryptosylvicola randrianasoloi'') is a species of Malagasy warbler in the family Bernieridae. It was formerly placed in the Old World warbler family Sylviidae. It was first discovered in 1992 near the Analamazaotra Special ...

Taxonomy articles created by Polbot