Photo: Francesco Veronesi from Italy / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Sharpe’s Apalis
Apalis sharpii
Sharpe's Apalis (Apalis sharpii) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
The Sharpe’s Apalis (Apalis sharpii) is a member of the Cisticolidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 8.7 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Cisticolidae Cisticolas & Allies
- Genus Apalis
- Species sharpii
Quick facts
- Weight
- 8.7 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Cisticolidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Sharpe’s Apalis 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 Sharpe’s Apalis is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Sharpe’s Apalis (Apalis sharpii) is a member of the Cisticolidae family, within the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF Guinea and Sierra Leone to Togo and Benin.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 8.7 g, with a wing length of about 4.6 cm and a tail of around 5.2 cm.
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 386,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Sharpe’s Apalis?
The Sharpe’s Apalis is a very small bird that weighs around 8.7 g.
Where does the Sharpe’s Apalis live?
The Sharpe’s Apalis is found across Africa with a range covering AF Guinea and Sierra Leone to Togo and Benin, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Sharpe’s Apalis belong to?
The Sharpe’s Apalis (Apalis sharpii) belongs to the Cisticolidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Sharpe’s Apalis eat?
The Sharpe’s Apalis is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Sharpe’s Apalis migrate?
The Sharpe’s Apalis is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Sharpe’s Apalis endangered?
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
What sound does the Sharpe’s Apalis make?
1 real field recording of the Sharpe’s Apalis — 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 Sharpe’s Apalis's range?
The Sharpe’s Apalis has a mapped global range of about 386,000 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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