Old World Flycatchers (Muscicapidae)
African Dusky Flycatcher (Muscicapa adusta) - HBW 11, p. 122
French: Gobemouche sombre
German: Dunkelschnäpper
Spanish: Papamoscas Sombrío
Other common names: Dusky Alseonax/Flycatcher
Taxonomy: Butalis adusta Boie, 1828, “Auteniquoi” = George, Western Cape, South Africa.
Race poensis was formerly referred to sometimes as obscura, but latter name is preoccupied. Exhibits considerable clinal and intrapopulation variability (also variation in appearance of skins arising from different taxidermal procedures). Up to 20 races have been recognized, but many of these considered unwarranted: thus, albiventris (highlands of W Cameroon), kumboensis (montane forest of SW Cameroon) and okuensis (montane forest of Mt Oku, in W Cameroon) treated as synonyms of poensis; grotei (N Cameroon and NW Central African Republic), s.. View all taxonomy...
Taxonomy: Butalis adusta Boie, 1828, “Auteniquoi” = George, Western Cape, South Africa.
Race poensis was formerly referred to sometimes as obscura, but latter name is preoccupied. Exhibits considerable clinal and intrapopulation variability (also variation in appearance of skins arising from different taxidermal procedures). Up to 20 races have been recognized, but many of these considered unwarranted: thus, albiventris (highlands of W Cameroon), kumboensis (montane forest of SW Cameroon) and okuensis (montane forest of Mt Oku, in W Cameroon) treated as synonyms of poensis; grotei (N Cameroon and NW Central African Republic), subtilis (E DRCongo), interposita (Molo Forest, in Kenya Highlands) and chyulu (Chyulu Range, in Kenya) synonymized with pumila; angolensis (Angolan plateau E to NW Zambia) subsumed in subadusta; and roehli (SE Kenya and NE Tanzania) is merged with murina. Ten subspecies currently recognized.
Race poensis was formerly referred to sometimes as obscura, but latter name is preoccupied. Exhibits considerable clinal and intrapopulation variability (also variation in appearance of skins arising from different taxidermal procedures). Up to 20 races have been recognized, but many of these considered unwarranted: thus, albiventris (highlands of W Cameroon), kumboensis (montane forest of SW Cameroon) and okuensis (montane forest of Mt Oku, in W Cameroon) treated as synonyms of poensis; grotei (N Cameroon and NW Central African Republic), subtilis (E DRCongo), interposita (Molo Forest, in Kenya Highlands) and chyulu (Chyulu Range, in Kenya) synonymized with pumila; angolensis (Angolan plateau E to NW Zambia) subsumed in subadusta; and roehli (SE Kenya and NE Tanzania) is merged with murina. Ten subspecies currently recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- poensis (Alexander, 1903) - highlands of SE Nigeria and W & C Cameroon (N to Tibati and Mt Genderu), and Bioko I (Fernando Póo).
- pumila (Reichenow, 1892) - N Cameroon (Adamawa Plateau) E to NW Central African Republic, and S Sudan and E DRCongo (S to N Katanga) E to Uganda, W & C Kenya (except Mt Marsabit), W Rwanda, W Burundi and NW & N Tanzania (including Mt Ketumbeine).
- minima Heuglin, 1862 - C Eritrea and Ethiopia.
- poensis (Alexander, 1903) - highlands of SE Nigeria and W & C Cameroon (N to Tibati and Mt Genderu), and Bioko I (Fernando Póo).
- pumila (Reichenow, 1892) - N Cameroon (Adamawa Plateau) E to NW Central African Republic, and S Sudan and E DRCongo (S to N Katanga) E to Uganda, W & C Kenya (except Mt Marsabit), W Rwanda, W Burundi and NW & N Tanzania (including Mt Ketumbeine).
- minima Heuglin, 1862 - C Eritrea and Ethiopia.
- marsabit (van Someren, 1931) - N Kenya (Mt Marsabit).
- murina (G. A. Fischer & Reichenow, 1884) - SE Kenya (Taita Hills) and NE Tanzanian highlands.
- fuelleborni Reichenow, 1900 - highlands of W & S Tanzania (S from Ngurus).
- subadusta (Shelley, 1897) - Angola (C plateau from S Cuanza Sul E to N Moxico and S Lunda Sul, S to N & W Huila), SE DRCongo, S Tanzania (Matengo highlands), N & C Zambia, Malawi, E highlands of Zimbabwe, and Mozambique (N of R Limpopo).
- mesica Clancey, 1974 - Zimbabwe (except E highlands).
- fuscula Sundevall, 1850 - N & E South Africa and Swaziland; non-breeding also S Mozambique.
- adusta (Boie, 1828) - S South Africa (E to R Umzimvubu and East Griqualand).
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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A bird on a branch, defecating and opening its bill Locality Buhoma, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda (ssp pumila)
Josep del Hoyo 8 September 2006 5 years ago 33 sec 4.9 -
A perched bird, flycatching once Locality Buhoma, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda (ssp pumila)
Josep del Hoyo 8 September 2006 5 years ago 21 sec 4.8 -
A bird perched on a twig and flying away Locality Gatamaiyu Forest, Kenya (ssp pumila)
Josep del Hoyo 22 November 2005 7 years ago 24 sec 4.7 -
perching Locality Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Uganda (ssp pumila)
Daniêl Jimenez 21 September 2010 2 years ago 36 sec 4.6 -
A bird perched on a fence post and flying away Locality Wondo Genet, Oromia Region, Ethiopia (ssp minima)
Keith Blomerley 8 April 2002 5 years ago 19 sec 4.5 -
An immature perched on a cactus and flying away Locality Naro Moru River Lodge, Mount Kenya National Park, Kenya (ssp pumila)
Josep del Hoyo 15 August 2000 6 years ago 27 sec 4.5
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Waiting for the flies
Locality Dikhololo Game Reserve, North West Province, South Africa
Robert Erasmus 14 March 2011 25 weeks ago 4 -
Adult on branch
Locality Mount Kenya National Park, Kenya (ssp pumila)
Photo-ay 10 July 2005 1 year ago 4 -
A bird perched on a lamp in a garden
Locality Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (ssp minima)
Stefan Helming 1 February 2009 4 years ago 4 -
An adult looking at a window.
Locality Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape Province, South Africa (ssp adusta)
Carmelo López 23 November 2010 2 years ago 3.9 -
adult bird on a chair at Naro Moru River Lodge
Locality Naro Moru River Lodge, Mount Kenya National Park, Kenya
Axel Gollnisch 10 October 2012 18 weeks ago 3.8 -
perching on streamside branch
Locality Debre Libanos, Oromia Region, Ethiopia
Hector Ceballos-Lascurain 11 July 2009 23 weeks ago 3.8
- No sound recordings available yet
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