The green-backed camaroptera, also known as the bleating camaroptera, is a small bird in the family Cisticolidae. This bird is a resident breeder in Africa south of the Sahara Desert. Recent studies suggest this species and the grey-backed camaroptera may be the same species.
Region
Sub-Saharan Africa
Typical Environment
Found in dense thickets, scrub, forest edges, secondary growth, savanna with bushy understory, and well-vegetated gardens. It stays close to the ground or in low shrubs, moving through tangled vegetation. It tolerates a range of modified habitats provided there is sufficient cover. Riverine thickets and shrub-lined drainage areas are frequently used. It is generally absent from open, treeless expanses.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2000 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
Also called the bleating camaroptera, this small cisticolid is a skulking undergrowth bird that often reveals itself by its loud, repetitive duet. Pairs commonly stitch leaves together with spider silk to form a domed nest low in dense cover. It is widespread across sub-Saharan Africa and typically non-migratory. Some authorities have treated it and the grey-backed camaroptera as conspecific due to overlapping vocal and morphological traits.
Temperament
secretive and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, low darting flights
Social Behavior
Usually found singly or in pairs, maintaining small territories year-round. Pairs perform duets and remain closely associated while foraging. The nest is a domed structure formed by stitching leaves together with plant fibers or spider silk, placed low in dense cover.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A loud, repetitive series of bleating or whistled notes, often delivered antiphonally by a pair. Calls include sharp chips and scolds given from inside cover. Despite its secretive habits, its voice carries far and is a key identification clue.
Plumage
Olive-green back and wings with a greyer nape and face, pale grey to whitish underparts, and buffy flanks. The tail is very short and often held cocked. Plumage appears plain but cleanly colored, with smooth, unspotted surfaces.
Diet
Primarily small insects and other arthropods, including beetles, caterpillars, and spiders. It gleans prey from leaves, stems, and bark in dense shrubbery. Occasionally takes small berries or soft fruits, especially when insect prey is scarce.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in low, tangled vegetation, thickets, and bushy edges. Often forages within a meter or two of the ground and along leaf clusters where insects hide. Will use garden hedges and dense ornamental shrubs in settled areas.
