White-winged Flufftail
Encyclopedia
The White-winged Flufftail (Sarothrura ayresi) is a very rare African bird
in the Rallidae
family. Its scientific name honours South Africa
n ornithologist
Thomas Ayres
.
.
, and south of it in Zambia
, Zimbabwe
and South Africa
. The only breeding records are from highland marshes of central Ethiopia. It is a very local, and apparently only summer, visitor to highland marshes south of the equator. It is unknown whether the northern and southern populations are distinct, but their physical features appear identical. The birds are not resident in any of the few known sites, sometimes departing after as little as six weeks when conditions turn unfavourable.
The three Ethiopian sites are the Suluta Valley wetlands, the Berga wetlands and the Wersebi wetlands near Addis Ababa
. The species was first found to breed at the Berga wetlands in 1997. Breeding has since been confirmed from the Wersebi wetlands and the Bilacha river wetland, close to Berga, which may be the main site. In South Africa they are regular at the Dullstroom and Wakkerstroom marshes, where public access is strictly regulated.
Non-breeding birds call only at dawn and dusk, sometimes in duet. Their natural habitat
is seasonal marshland of subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland
. The species is severely threatened by habitat loss, causes of which include grass trampling by cattle, and grass cutting and drainage of swamps for pasture. Regulated land management could improve the situation markedly.
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
in the Rallidae
Rallidae
The rails, or Rallidae, are a large cosmopolitan family of small to medium-sized birds. The family exhibits considerable diversity and the family also includes the crakes, coots, and gallinules...
family. Its scientific name honours South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n ornithologist
Ornithology
Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...
Thomas Ayres
Thomas Ayres
Thomas Ayres was a British born South African ornithologist. In 1850 he migrated with his family to Natal where he started to collect birds. In 1865 he and his brother Jack moved to Potchefstroom, where they hunted and traded with the Boer settlers...
.
Description
It resembles its relatives in the Flufftail genus, but both sexes have dull plumage and dark crowns. In flight both sexes also show distinctive white secondary feathers, a feature shared only with the related genus CoturnicopsCoturnicops
Coturnicops is a genus of bird in the Rallidae family. It contains the following species:* Swinhoe's Rail, Coturnicops exquisitus* Yellow Rail, Coturnicops noveboracensis* Speckled Crake, Coturnicops notatus...
.
Distribution and habitat
The species has an seemingly disjunct range, being found north of the equator in EthiopiaEthiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, and south of it in Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. The only breeding records are from highland marshes of central Ethiopia. It is a very local, and apparently only summer, visitor to highland marshes south of the equator. It is unknown whether the northern and southern populations are distinct, but their physical features appear identical. The birds are not resident in any of the few known sites, sometimes departing after as little as six weeks when conditions turn unfavourable.
The three Ethiopian sites are the Suluta Valley wetlands, the Berga wetlands and the Wersebi wetlands near Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
. The species was first found to breed at the Berga wetlands in 1997. Breeding has since been confirmed from the Wersebi wetlands and the Bilacha river wetland, close to Berga, which may be the main site. In South Africa they are regular at the Dullstroom and Wakkerstroom marshes, where public access is strictly regulated.
Non-breeding birds call only at dawn and dusk, sometimes in duet. Their natural habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
is seasonal marshland of subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
. The species is severely threatened by habitat loss, causes of which include grass trampling by cattle, and grass cutting and drainage of swamps for pasture. Regulated land management could improve the situation markedly.