Bird Album
Cape Grassbird
Sphenoeacus afer (Gmelin, JF, 1789)
19–23 cmLength30 gWeight
The Cape grassbird or Cape grass warbler (Sphenoeacus afer) is an African warbler found in southern Africa.
Busiest months: September–November · Most records: South Africa, Eswatini, Zimbabwe
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: September–November · Most records: South Africa, Eswatini, Zimbabwe
Cape Grassbird has been recorded at 53 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 4 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Rooi-ElsSouth Africa966 records
- Kirstenbosch Botanical GardenSouth Africa383 records
- Rietvlei NRSouth Africa305 records
More places
- Harold Porter Botanical GardensSouth Africa283 records
- Table Mt. NP – Cape Point SectionSouth Africa249 records
- Sani Pass (ZA) – low elevationSouth Africa233 records
- De Hoop Nature ReserveSouth Africa200 records
- West Coast NPSouth Africa198 records
- Rondevlei NRSouth Africa167 records
- Strandfontein WTPSouth Africa132 records
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 Cape grassbird or Cape grass warbler (Sphenoeacus afer) is an African warbler found in southern Africa. It is the only species placed in the genus Sphenoeacus.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Cape Grassbird?
The Cape Grassbird is about 19–23 cm long and weighs around 30 g.
Where does the Cape Grassbird live?
Its breeding range: Africa: southern. It is most often recorded in South Africa, Eswatini and Zimbabwe.
When is the best time to see the Cape Grassbird?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in September, October and November (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the Cape Grassbird endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Cape Grassbird as Least Concern.
What does the Cape Grassbird eat?
Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.
What family is the Cape Grassbird in?
It belongs to the family Crombecs, African Warblers (Macrosphenidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).
At a glance
- Length
- 19–23 cm
- Weight
- 30 g
- Habitat
- Shrubland
- Diet
- Insects & other invertebrates
- Lifestyle
- Perches in trees
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 66 mm
- Tail
- 99 mm
- Bill
- 17 mm
- Tarsus
- 22 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Africa: southern
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Passerines Passeriformes
- Family
- Crombecs, African Warblers Macrosphenidae
- Genus
- Sphenoeacus
More from the family Crombecs, African Warblers
Moustached Grass WarblerMelocichla mentalis
RockrunnerAchaetops pycnopygius
Yellow LongbillMacrosphenus flavicans
Kemp's LongbillMacrosphenus kempi
Grey LongbillMacrosphenus concolor
Pulitzer's LongbillMacrosphenus pulitzeri
Kretschmer's LongbillMacrosphenus kretschmeri
Northern CrombecSylvietta brachyura
Red-faced CrombecSylvietta whytii
Philippa's CrombecSylvietta philippae
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Carmelo López Abad. ↗
Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.