Philippa's crombec, also known as the short-billed crombec, is a species of African warbler, formerly placed in the family Sylviidae. It is found in Ethiopia and Somalia. Its natural habitat is dry savanna.
Region
Horn of Africa
Typical Environment
Occurs patchily in eastern Ethiopia and adjacent Somalia, chiefly in dry savanna and thorn-scrub mosaics. It favors Acacia-Commiphora woodland, arid bushland, and edges of lightly wooded plains. Birds keep close to low shrubs and small trees, often moving through dense thorny cover. It is thought to be local and under-recorded, partly due to remoteness of its range and its secretive behavior.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1500 m
Climate Zone
Arid
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called the short-billed crombec, this tiny African warbler is nearly tailless, giving it a very compact, rounded silhouette. It was formerly placed in the old-world warbler family Sylviidae but is now classified within Macrosphenidae. The species is poorly known and easily overlooked as it keeps to thorny scrub, where its soft, high-pitched calls carry farther than the bird itself is seen.
Temperament
skulking and alert
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats between bushes
Social Behavior
Typically seen singly or in pairs within small territories, sometimes joining mixed-species foraging parties. Nesting is presumed similar to other crombecs, with a domed, suspended structure hidden in thorny vegetation. Pairs maintain close contact with soft calls while moving through cover.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song consists of thin, high-pitched trills and rapid tinkling phrases delivered from within shrubs. Calls are soft, sibilant tsip notes that can be hard to localize in windy savanna.
