Phyllastrephus xavieri
The Xavier's Greenbul (*Phyllastrephus xavieri*) is a medium-sized songbird, typically measuring 17-18 cm in length and weighing between 25-35 grams. Its plumage is characterized by olive-green upperparts, a creamy-white throat, and pale yellowish-white underparts contrasting with greenish-yellow flanks, making it a subtle beauty of the African rainforest. A faint pale eye-ring or a pale iris can be a helpful field mark, along with its relatively stout bill and active demeanor in dense foliag...
Found primarily in lowland and submontane rainforests, as well as dense secondary growth, typically at elevations below 1,200 meters.
The diet consists mainly of insects and other small invertebrates, such as caterpillars, beetles, and ants, supplemented by small fruits and berries.
Xavier's Greenbul is a diurnal and often elusive species, more frequently heard than seen as it forages actively within dense vegetation. It employs a gleaning foraging strategy, carefully picking insects and other invertebrates from leaves and branches, and also consumes small fruits. During the...
The Xavier's Greenbul boasts a widespread distribution across West and Central Africa, primarily within the Guineo-Congolian forest biome. Its breeding range extends from southeastern Nigeria eastward through Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea (including Bioko Island), Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, ...
Least Concern
- Named after Xavier Rocques, a 19th-century French naturalist and explorer who collected specimens in Africa. - Its genus, *Phyllastrephus*, contains over 20 species of greenbuls, many of which are notoriously difficult to distinguish visually. - The song of Xavier's Greenbul is often described ...