The yellow-bellied wattle-eye is a species of bird in the family Platysteiridae. It is sparsely distributed across the African tropical rainforest.
Region
West and Central African tropical rainforests
Typical Environment
Occurs patchily from West Africa through the Congo Basin into parts of western East Africa. It favors lowland primary and mature secondary rainforest, forest edges, gallery forests, and vine tangles. Most activity is in the shaded lower to mid-storey, where it forages methodically among dense foliage. It tolerates some disturbance and can persist in selectively logged or regenerating forest, provided dense understory remains. Local abundance varies, and it is often detected by voice rather than by sight.
Altitude Range
0–1500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Wattle-eyes are named for the colorful bare skin (wattle) around the eyes, which is especially prominent in males during display. Pairs often duet, producing coordinated whistles to advertise territory and maintain bonds. Males commonly flick their wings to flash a white wing patch while calling. Though often inconspicuous, they join mixed-species flocks in forest undergrowth.
Temperament
pair-bonded and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief sallies
Social Behavior
Usually found singly or in pairs within well-defined territories. Pairs maintain contact with soft calls and often perform duets; both sexes participate in nesting and chick-rearing. Nests are small cups placed low to mid-level in dense vegetation. They occasionally accompany mixed-species flocks moving through the understorey.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a series of clear, piping whistles delivered in duets, with male and female phrases interlocking. Calls include sharp chips and thin seee notes. Vocalizations are frequent at dawn and help reveal their presence in dense cover.
Plumage
Male is dark above with a crisp white wing patch and bright yellow underparts; female is browner/olive above with duller yellow underparts and less contrasting markings. Both sexes show a neat, compact build with short, rounded wings and a slightly hooked bill. Bare, colored eye wattles are conspicuous in the male, less so in the female.
Diet
Primarily small insects and other arthropods, including beetles, flies, caterpillars, ants, and spiders. It gleans from leaves and twigs and makes short sallies to snatch prey. Occasionally takes small berries when insect prey is scarce, but animal prey dominates. Foraging is deliberate, with frequent pauses to scan from low perches.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in shaded understorey and mid-storey of humid forest, especially in vine tangles, sapling thickets, and along edges and trails. Often forages near the edges of clearings and in secondary growth that retains dense cover.
