Jameson's wattle-eye is a species of bird in the family Platysteiridae. It is found in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is named after James Sligo Jameson.
Region
East and Central Africa
Typical Environment
Occurs from eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo east through South Sudan and Uganda to western Kenya and northern Tanzania. It inhabits moist lowland and montane forests, forest edges, riverine thickets, and well-wooded secondary growth. Birds often keep to dense tangles, vine-covered gaps, and the lower to mid-story. It tolerates some habitat disturbance where sufficient understory cover remains.
Altitude Range
500–2400 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Jameson's wattle-eye is a small forest flycatcher-like bird noted for the fleshy wattle around its eye, a hallmark of the wattle-eye family (Platysteiridae). Pairs often perform antiphonal duets, calling back and forth in tight coordination. It forages actively in the shaded understory and frequently joins mixed-species flocks in forest edge and secondary growth.
Temperament
active and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually encountered in pairs or small family groups within a defended territory. Pairs perform antiphonal duets and engage in tail-flicking displays in dense cover. The nest is a small cup placed low in a fork or tangle, and both sexes share parental duties.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Delivers clear, sharp whistles and clicking notes, often in rhythmic sequences. Duets are tightly coordinated, with partners alternating phrases to produce a rapid, chattering series.
Plumage
Compact, short-tailed bird; male shows strong black-and-white contrast with a prominent white wing patch, while the female is duller with brownish-olive upperparts and paler underparts. Both sexes have a conspicuous fleshy eye wattle and a short, slightly hooked bill. Underpart tone and flank wash can vary by individual and region.
Diet
Primarily takes small arthropods such as beetles, flies, caterpillars, and spiders. It gleans from leaves and twigs, hover-gleans at foliage, and occasionally sallies out to snatch prey mid-air. Foraging is mostly in the lower to mid-story, where it moves quickly through shaded tangles.
Preferred Environment
Feeds along forest edges, vine tangles, riparian thickets, and gaps within moist forest. Often accompanies mixed-species foraging flocks in semi-open understory and secondary woodland.
