Old World Warblers (Sylviidae)
Cape Grass-warbler (Sphenoeacus afer) - HBW 11, p. 611
French: Sphénoèque du Cap
German: Kapgrassänger
Spanish: Yerbera de El Cabo
Other common names: (Cape) Grassbird
Taxonomy: Muscicapa afra J. F. Gmelin, 1789, Cape of Good Hope, South Africa.
Has sometimes been linked in a superspecies with Melocichla mentalis and Achaetops pycnopygius, but the latter now classed as a babbler (Timaliidae) and the three species now thought not to be closely related. Four subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- excisus Clancey, 1973 - E Zimbabwe highlands and adjacent Mozambique.
- natalensis Shelley, 1882 - NE South Africa (Northern Province S to N & E Free State and KwaZulu-Natal), W Swaziland and N Lesotho.
- intermedius Shelley, 1882 - E South Africa (extreme S KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape S to former Transkei); probably also S Lesotho.
- afer (J. F. Gmelin, 1789) - Western Cape and SW Eastern Cape (E to about R Gamtoos), in SW & S South Africa.
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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single male singing from a perch in coastal fynbos Locality De Hoop Nature Reserve, Western Cape Province, South Africa (ssp afer)
Alexander Lees 8 July 2007 28 weeks ago 8 sec 4.3 -
An adult singing. Locality Cape Point, Cape Town, Western Cape Province, South Africa (ssp afer)
Francesc Capdevila i Torr... 19 October 2000 8 years ago 20 sec 4.3 -
A front sight of an individual in a bush, flying away Locality Betty’s Bay, Western Cape Province, South Africa (ssp afer)
Helmut Schenkel Brunner 31 July 2003 4 years ago 9 sec 4.1 -
An adult singing Locality Cape Point, Cape Town, Western Cape Province, South Africa (ssp afer)
Francesc Capdevila i Torr... 19 October 2000 8 years ago 19 sec 3.4 -
Fledgling looking around and calling. Male grass-warbler singing in background as well as Hadeda Ibis. Locality South Africa
Conan Guard 1 December 2008 3 years ago 12 sec 3 -
An adult singing on the top of a bush. Locality Cape Point, Cape Town, Western Cape Province, South Africa (ssp afer)
Francesc Capdevila i Torr... 19 October 2000 8 years ago 20 sec 2.6
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A bird singing on the bush
Locality Cape Town, Western Cape Province, South Africa
Libor Vaicenbacher 30 October 2009 2 years ago 4.5 -
An adult perched on a plant.
Locality Bontebok National Park, Swellendam, Western Cape Province, South Africa (ssp afer)
Carmelo López 22 November 2010 1 year ago 4.3 -
Male in coastal fynbos at Koppie Alleen.
Locality De Hoop Nature Reserve, Western Cape Province, South Africa (ssp afer)
Martin Flack 28 October 2011 11 weeks ago 3.9 -
Singing male in coastal fynbos at Koppie Alleen.
Locality De Hoop Nature Reserve, Western Cape Province, South Africa (ssp afer)
Martin Flack 28 October 2011 11 weeks ago 3.7 -
Perched
Locality Cape Point, Cape Town, Western Cape Province, South Africa
Lindsay Hansch 30 September 2008 42 weeks ago 3 -
Feeding in some low shrubs.
Locality West Coast National Park, Western Cape Province, South Africa (ssp afer)
Sam Woods 24 September 2009 2 years ago 3
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Singing from a low branch. Response to playback. Locality Rooi–Els, Western Cape Province, South Africa
(ssp afer)
Charles Hesse 1 November 2009 2 years ago 4
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