The olive-green camaroptera is a bird species in the family Cisticolidae.
Region
Guineo-Congolian forests of West and Central Africa
Typical Environment
Found in lowland and foothill evergreen rainforest, secondary growth, forest edges, and dense thickets. It frequents the shaded understory and tangles near the ground, occasionally moving into adjacent plantations or logged forest if cover remains. Often accompanies mixed-species flocks but stays in lower strata. It is generally absent from open savanna and arid habitats.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1800 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A small, secretive warbler of the African rainforest understory, the olive-green camaroptera often keeps to dense thickets where it flicks its short tail while foraging. Pairs frequently perform antiphonal duets, trading sharp whistles back and forth. It builds a neat, ball-shaped nest stitched together with spider silk low in vegetation. It can be confused with the green-backed camaroptera but is more uniformly olive and more tied to deep forest.
Temperament
secretive but active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats through dense cover
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly or in pairs, sometimes in small family groups. Pairs are territorial and often duet; nesting is low in dense vegetation where they fashion a ball-shaped nest bound with spider silk. They may join mixed-species flocks while foraging but remain low and concealed.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A series of clear, ringing whistles and sharp notes delivered in rapid sequences, often as antiphonal duets between pair members. Calls include sharp chips and squeaks, with a persistent, bleating quality typical of camaropteras.
Plumage
Mostly uniform olive-green upperparts with yellow-olive to olive-washed underparts and a paler throat; short rounded wings and a distinctly short tail often held cocked.
Diet
Primarily small insects and other arthropods such as beetles, caterpillars, and spiders. It gleans prey from leaves and twigs and occasionally snatches small invertebrates from the air with short sallies. It may occasionally take small berries when available but remains predominantly insectivorous.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in the shaded understory, vine tangles, and dense shrub layers of moist forest. Often forages within a meter or two of the ground, moving methodically through cover and along edges of clearings.
