Old World Flycatchers (Muscicapidae)

Silverbird (Empidornis semipartitus) - HBW 11, p. 108

French: Gobemouche argenté German: Silberschnäpper Spanish: Papamoscas Plateado

Taxonomy: Muscicapa semipartita Rüppell, 1840, Gondar, Ethiopia.
In the past was sometimes placed in genus Melaenornis, but differs markedly from latter in plumage colours, domed nest, and song. Clinal increase in wing length, from 82-95 mm in Sudan to 95-101 mm in E Africa; proposed race kavirondensis (NE Uganda, W Kenya and Tanzania) considered to represent part of this cline. Monotypic.

Distribution: W & S Sudan, W Ethiopia, N & E Uganda, W Kenya and N Tanzania (S to C Tabora and N Dodoma).