Description

This pretty, forest-dwelling bird has bright plumage and an exceptionally long and graduated tail. There are two subspecies of the white-winged apalis, one of which has not been seen since 1961. Apalis chariessa chariessa males have glossy black upperparts, a conspicuous white panel on the folded wing (hence the name), and a black tail with white tips. A distinctive black band separates the white throat from the golden yellow breast. Females are duller than the males and have a dark grey head, olive-green upperparts, and a dark grey tail with whitish tips. The lower throat and breast-band is also dark grey. Subspecies Apalis chariessa macphersoni is slightly larger than A.c. chariessa and has a less well-defined orange breast. Both subspecies have brown irises, black bills and pinkish-brown legs. The male sings a lively, repeated tee-luu dee-lu, often in duet with a female

Fun Facts

The male sings a lively, repeated tee-luu dee-lu, often in duet with a female