Rudd's apalis is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is found primarily in Mozambique but also in southern Malawi and adjacent areas of South Africa and Eswatini. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest and subtropical or tropical moist shrubland.
Region
Southeast Africa
Typical Environment
Found primarily along the lowland coastal belt of Mozambique, extending into southern Malawi and adjacent parts of northeastern South Africa and Eswatini. It inhabits subtropical dry forest, coastal dune and sand forest, and dense riverine or moist shrubland. The species favors tangled undergrowth, forest edges, and secondary thickets rather than deep interior forest. It tolerates some disturbance where dense shrub cover remains but retreats from heavily cleared areas.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1200 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A small, active warbler of dense thickets and forest edges, it is most often seen in pairs flicking its long tail as it forages. Pairs frequently perform antiphonal duets, with male and female alternating notes in quick succession. It can be locally common in intact coastal and riverine scrub but is sensitive to habitat degradation and fragmentation.
Temperament
secretive but active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats between cover
Social Behavior
Usually encountered in pairs or small family groups moving through thickets at mid to low levels. Frequently participates in mixed-species foraging parties in forest edge habitats. Nests are small cups placed low to mid-height in dense shrubbery; both parents attend the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A bright, fast series of high-pitched notes often delivered as an antiphonal duet, with male and female alternating. Calls include sharp chips and thin squeaks given while foraging in dense cover.
Plumage
Small, slender apalis with gray-olive upperparts and a contrasting clean white throat. The upper breast meets the paler underparts with a narrow dark breast band; belly often pale yellow to buff. Tail relatively long and frequently flicked, with contrasting pale outer feathers visible in flight.
Diet
Primarily small insects and other arthropods gleaned from leaves, twigs, and fine branches. It probes into clusters of dead leaves and searches vine tangles for hidden prey. Occasionally hawks short distances to snatch flying insects and may take small spiders.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in dense shrub layers, forest margins, and secondary thickets, usually from near ground level up to the mid-canopy. Often forages along edges of coastal dune forests and riverine thickets where sunlight supports rich insect life.
