Bird Album
Abyssinian Catbird
Sylvia galinieri (Guérin-Méneville, 1843)
19 cmLength22 gWeight
The Abyssinian catbird (Sylvia galinieri), also known as the juniper babbler, is a small passerine in the family Sylviidae, endemic to the highland forests and scrub of Ethiopia.
Busiest months: November · Most records: Ethiopia
Where and when it's recorded
Abyssinian Catbird has been recorded at 6 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Bale Mts – Dinsho Park HQEthiopia232 records
- Wondo GenetEthiopia10 records
- Debre Libanos MonasteryEthiopia8 records
More places
- Melka GhebduEthiopia1 record
- Lake Awassa – United Africa Shebelle Hotel areaEthiopia1 record
- Hara Langano LodgeEthiopia1 record
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The Abyssinian catbird (Sylvia galinieri), also known as the juniper babbler, is a small passerine in the family Sylviidae, endemic to the highland forests and scrub of Ethiopia. Despite its name, it is unrelated to other birds called "catbirds." It is mostly grey, with black lores, a whitish forehead, and a chestnut vent.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Abyssinian Catbird?
The Abyssinian Catbird is about 19 cm long and weighs around 22 g.
Where does the Abyssinian Catbird live?
Its breeding range: Africa: montane western, central Ethiopia. It is most often recorded in Ethiopia.
When is the best time to see the Abyssinian Catbird?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in November (Northern Hemisphere).
Is the Abyssinian Catbird endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Abyssinian Catbird as Least Concern.
What does the Abyssinian Catbird eat?
Main food: Fruit.
What family is the Abyssinian Catbird in?
It belongs to the family Sylviid Babblers (Sylviidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).
At a glance
- Length
- 19 cm
- Weight
- 22 g
- Habitat
- Woodland
- Diet
- Fruit
- Lifestyle
- Perches in trees
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 85 mm
- Tail
- 80 mm
- Bill
- 16 mm
- Tarsus
- 26 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Africa: montane western, central Ethiopia
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Passerines Passeriformes
- Family
- Sylviid Babblers Sylviidae
- Genus
- Sylvia
Other birds in the genus Sylvia
Eurasian BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
Garden WarblerSylvia borin
Dohrn's WarblerSylvia dohrni
Bush BlackcapSylvia nigricapillus
African Hill BabblerSylvia abyssinica
Rwenzori Hill BabblerSylvia atriceps
Barred WarblerCurruca nisoria
Layard's WarblerCurruca layardi
Banded ParisomaCurruca boehmi
Chestnut-vented WarblerCurruca subcoerulea
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by markus lilje. ↗
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