Photo: Francesco Veronesi from Italy / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Sabine’s Puffback
Dryoscopus sabini
Sabine's Puffback (Dryoscopus sabini) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
The Sabine’s Puffback (Dryoscopus sabini) is a member of the Malaconotidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 37.1 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Malaconotidae Bushshrikes
- Genus Dryoscopus
- Species sabini
Quick facts
- Weight
- 37.1 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Malaconotidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Sabine’s Puffback is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Sabine’s Puffback is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Sabine’s Puffback (Dryoscopus sabini) is a member of the Malaconotidae family, within the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF w, c.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 37.1 g, with a wing length of about 8.4 cm and a tail of around 6.8 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 1.2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Sabine’s Puffback?
The Sabine’s Puffback is a small bird that weighs around 37.1 g.
Where does the Sabine’s Puffback live?
The Sabine’s Puffback is found across Africa with a range covering AF w, c, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Sabine’s Puffback belong to?
The Sabine’s Puffback (Dryoscopus sabini) belongs to the Malaconotidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Sabine’s Puffback eat?
The Sabine’s Puffback is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Sabine’s Puffback migrate?
The Sabine’s Puffback is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Sabine’s Puffback endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Sabine’s Puffback make?
1 real field recording of the Sabine’s Puffback — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Sabine’s Puffback's range?
The Sabine’s Puffback has a mapped global range of about 1.2 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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