Photo: Derek Keats from Johannesburg, South Africa / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Bar-throated Apalis
Apalis thoracica
Bar-throated Apalis (Apalis thoracica) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Bar-throated Apalis (Apalis thoracica) is a member of the Cisticolidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 11.1 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 Cisticolidae Cisticolas & Allies
- Genus Apalis
- Species thoracica
Quick facts
- Weight
- 11.1 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Cisticolidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Endangered
Least Concern
Critically Endangered
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Bar-throated Apalis is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Bar-throated Apalis is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Bar-throated Apalis (Apalis thoracica) belongs to the Cisticolidae family of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF s.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 11.1 g, with a wing length of about 5.1 cm and a tail of around 5.1 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 Bar-throated Apalis?
The Bar-throated Apalis is a very small bird that weighs around 11.1 g.
Where does the Bar-throated Apalis live?
The Bar-throated Apalis is found across Africa with a range covering AF s, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Bar-throated Apalis belong to?
The Bar-throated Apalis (Apalis thoracica) belongs to the Cisticolidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Bar-throated Apalis eat?
The Bar-throated Apalis is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Bar-throated Apalis migrate?
The Bar-throated Apalis is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Bar-throated Apalis 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 Bar-throated Apalis make?
1 real field recording of the Bar-throated Apalis — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Bar-throated Apalis's range?
The Bar-throated Apalis 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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Guides for this bird
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