Skip to main content

Photo: Francesco Veronesi from Italy / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Buff-bellied Warbler

Phyllolais pulchella

Buff-bellied Warbler (Phyllolais pulchella) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

See what's near you right now

The Buff-bellied Warbler (Phyllolais pulchella) is a member of the Cisticolidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 6 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

  1. Class Aves
  2. Order Passeriformes
  3. Family Cisticolidae Cisticolas & Allies
  4. Genus Phyllolais
  5. Species pulchella

Where it lives

Southern Niger and northern Nigeria to Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania

Quick facts

Weight
6 g
Family
Cisticolidae
Habitat
Woodland

How to identify

Similar birds

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Buff-bellied Warbler is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Behaviour

A bird of semi-open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.

Migration

The Buff-bellied Warbler is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

The Buff-bellied Warbler (Phyllolais pulchella) is a species of bird in the Cisticolidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF s Niger and n Nigeria to Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania.

It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 6 g, with a wing length of about 4.5 cm and a tail of around 4.1 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 2.1 million km².

Songs & calls

Buff-bellied Warbler — Call

Recorded by Julien Birard Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Buff-bellied Warbler?

The Buff-bellied Warbler is a very small bird that weighs around 6 g.

Where does the Buff-bellied Warbler live?

The Buff-bellied Warbler is found across Africa with a range covering AF s Niger and n Nigeria to Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.

What family does the Buff-bellied Warbler belong to?

The Buff-bellied Warbler (Phyllolais pulchella) belongs to the Cisticolidae family, in the order Passeriformes.

What does the Buff-bellied Warbler eat?

The Buff-bellied Warbler is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Does the Buff-bellied Warbler migrate?

The Buff-bellied Warbler is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

Is the Buff-bellied Warbler 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 Buff-bellied Warbler make?

1 real field recording of the Buff-bellied Warbler — 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 Buff-bellied Warbler's range?

The Buff-bellied Warbler has a mapped global range of about 2.1 million km².

Conservation

Least Concern

Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.

How to help birds

Explore more birds

More in Cisticolidae

More in Songbirds

Guides for this bird

Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds

How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.

4 min read

Back to top