Old World Flycatchers (Muscicapidae)

Pale Flycatcher (Bradornis pallidus) - HBW 11, p. 103

French: Gobemouche pâle German: Fahlschnäpper Spanish: Papamoscas Pálido
Other common names: Pallid/Mouse-coloured Flycatcher; Wajir/Wajheir (Grey) Flycatcher, Bafirawari Flycatcher (bafirawari)

Taxonomy: Musicapa [sic] pallida J. W. von Müller, 1851, Kordofan, Sudan.
Genus often merged with Melaenornis. Race subalaris does not intergrade with griseus in SE Kenya, and together with erlangeri may represent a separate species. Taxonomic status of bafirawari uncertain; sometimes considered a distinct species, but probably a variant of present species. Geographical limits of nominate race and modestus incompletely defined. Putative race nigeriae (described from upper R Benue, on Nigeria-Cameroon border) considered indistinguishable from modestus. Thirteen subspecies currently recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

pallidus (J. W. von Müller, 1851) - semi-arid regions from Senegal and Gambia E to N Ghana and C Mali, and N Nigeria to W Sudan and W Ethiopia (R Baro); possibly also DRCongo (Uele District).
modestus Shelley, 1873 - Guinea and SE Mali E (S of nominate) to W Central African Republic.
bowdleri Collin & E. J. O. Hartert, 1927 - Eritrea to C Ethiopia (S to Arussi Plateau).

See all 13 subspecies

pallidus (J. W. von Müller, 1851) - semi-arid regions from Senegal and Gambia E to N Ghana and C Mali, and N Nigeria to W Sudan and W Ethiopia (R Baro); possibly also DRCongo (Uele District).
modestus Shelley, 1873 - Guinea and SE Mali E (S of nominate) to W Central African Republic.
bowdleri Collin & E. J. O. Hartert, 1927 - Eritrea to C Ethiopia (S to Arussi Plateau).
duyerali Traylor, 1970 - NE Ethiopia (Duyer Ali) and C Somalia (el Bur).
parvus Reichenow, 1907 - SW Ethiopia, SE Sudan (borders of R Baro), NE DRCongo (possibly Uele District) and NW Uganda (S to Masindi).
bafirawari Bannerman, 1924 - extreme S Ethiopia and NE Kenya (Djiroko to Wajir and Garissa).
erlangeri Reichenow, 1905 - S Somalia (Bardera and Serenli to Hanole).
subalaris Sharpe, 1874 - coastal and E Kenya (lower R Tana to Samburu) and Tanzania (coast S to Moa, inland to Amani).
griseus Reichenow, 1882 - extreme SE Kenya and C Tanzania S to N & E Zambia and N & C Malawi.
murinus Hartlaub & Finsch, 1870 - Gabon and PRCongo E to S Sudan (Didinga Mts), W & S Kenya, N Tanzania and Uganda (except NW), and S to NE Namibia, N Botswana, W & S Zambia and Zimbabwe (except SE).
aquaemontis Stresemann, 1937 - C Namibia (Waterburg Plateau).
divisus Lawson, 1961 - SE Zambia, S Malawi, SE Zimbabwe, Mozambique (S to Delagoa Bay), NE South Africa (Limpopo and Mpumalanga Provinces) and Swaziland.
sibilans Clancey, 1966 - S Mozambique (S of Sul do Save) and NE South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal).