The silverbird (''Empidornis semipartitus'') is an

Old World flycatcher The Old World flycatchers are a large family, the Muscicapidae, of small passerine birds restricted to the Old World (Europe, Africa and Asia), with the exception of several vagrants and two species, bluethroat (''Luscinia svecica'') and north ...

native to

Eastern Africa East Africa, also known as Eastern Africa or the East of Africa, is a region at the eastern edge of the Africa, African continent, distinguished by its unique geographical, historical, and cultural landscape. Defined in varying scopes, the regi ...

, from Sudan to Tanzania. The species is the only member of the genus ''Empidornis'', although it is sometimes placed in the genus '' Melaenornis ''.Taylor, B. (2017). Silverbird (Melaenornis semipartitus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from http://www.hbw.com/node/59007 on 4 April 2017).

Description

The silverbird is a stunning flycatcher of open areas west of the

Rift Valley A rift valley is a linear shaped lowland between several highlands or mountain ranges produced by the action of a geologic rift. Rifts are formed as a result of the pulling apart of the lithosphere due to extensional tectonics. The linear ...

, silvery grey above and tawny

orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower ** Orange juice *Orange (colour), the color of an orange fruit, occurs between red and yellow in the vi ...

below. Juveniles have black-bordered tawny spots on upperparts, mottled buff and black on throats and breasts. The species is long and weighs . The

call Call or Calls may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Games * Call (poker), a bet matching an opponent's * Call, in the game of contract bridge, a bid, pass, double, or redouble in the bidding stage Music and dance * Call (band), from L ...

of the silverbird uses short phrases which are slightly

thrush Thrush may refer to: Birds * Thrush (bird), any of the birds in the family Turdidae ** List of thrush species * Antthrushes, the Formicariidae family of birds * Dohrn's warbler, or Dohrn's thrush-babbler, a species ''Sylvia dohrni'' in the famil ...

-like. Sometimes the terminal note is higher and thinner, ''eee-sleeur-eeee'' or ''sweet siursur-eet-seet''; also a longer ''eep-eep churEErip, eep-eep cherip chch chchch eee'',

embellished In sewing and crafts, an embellishment is anything that adds design interest to the piece. Embellishments allow individuals to express their personal style and identity. Clothing can be a form of self-expression, and the choice of embellishmen ...

with chattering and ''seep'' notes.

References

Dale A. Zimmerman Dale Allen Zimmerman (June 7, 1928 – November 10, 2021) was an American naturalist noted primarily for his contributions to ornithology, and, to a lesser degree, botany and lepidopterology. He was, at the time of his death, an emeritus profess ...

, Birds of Kenya and Northern Tanzania, Princeton University Press, 1999 * del Hoyo, J.; Elliot, A. & Christie D. (editors). (2006). ''

Handbook of the Birds of the World The ''Handbook of the Birds of the World'' (HBW) is a multi-volume series produced by the Spanish publishing house Lynx Edicions in partnership with BirdLife International. It is the first handbook to cover every known living species of bird. ...

''. Volume 11: Old World Flycatchers to Old World Warblers. Lynx Edicions. .

External links

Image at ADW
Muscicapidae Birds of East Africa Birds described in 1840 {{Muscicapidae-stub