African Hill Babbler (Sylvia abyssinica)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

African Hill Babbler

Sylvia abyssinica (Rüppell, 1840)

13–15 cmLength19 gWeight

Busiest months: November · Most records: Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

African Hill Babbler has been recorded at 30 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 7 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Mt Kenya NP – Castle Forest and LodgeKenya487 records
  2. Gatamaiyu ForestKenya221 records
  3. West Usambara Mountains – Old Sawmill TrackTanzania111 records
More places
  1. Wondo GenetEthiopia79 records
  2. Mt. Cameroon – Guinness TrackCameroon54 records
  3. Mt. Moco Reserve IBAAngola30 records
  4. Aberdare NPKenya29 records
  5. Arusha NPTanzania20 records
  6. Gibbs FarmTanzania17 records
  7. Bishangari LodgeEthiopia15 records

Countries and regions with the most records

KenyaTanzaniaEthiopiaCameroonAngolaEquatorial GuineaMalawi

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

Questions

How big is the African Hill Babbler?

The African Hill Babbler is about 13–15 cm long and weighs around 19 g.

Where does the African Hill Babbler live?

Its breeding range: Africa: western, eastern. It is most often recorded in Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia.

When is the best time to see the African Hill Babbler?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in November (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the African Hill Babbler endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the African Hill Babbler as Least Concern.

What does the African Hill Babbler eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the African Hill Babbler in?

It belongs to the family Sylviid Babblers (Sylviidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length
13–15 cm
Weight
19 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
66 mm
Tail
60 mm
Bill
16 mm
Tarsus
22 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: western, eastern

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 BlackcapEurasian BlackcapSylvia atricapillaGarden WarblerGarden WarblerSylvia borinDohrn's WarblerDohrn's WarblerSylvia dohrniAbyssinian CatbirdAbyssinian CatbirdSylvia galinieriBush BlackcapBush BlackcapSylvia nigricapillusRwenzori Hill BabblerRwenzori Hill BabblerSylvia atricepsBarred WarblerBarred WarblerCurruca nisoriaLayard's WarblerLayard's WarblerCurruca layardiBanded ParisomaBanded ParisomaCurruca boehmiChestnut-vented WarblerChestnut-vented WarblerCurruca subcoerulea
African Hill Babbler

Download illustration

Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Alex. ↗

WebP · 1070 px

Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.

In other languages