Marico Flycatcher

Description:

Small bird, normal flycatcher shape, a bit bigger, finer and longer than sparrow size, Easily distinguished thanks to its colours - there is a sharp difference between the dark brown upperparts, and white underparts.

Habitat:

Observed in Kunene region, north west of Namibia, in gardens of a camp where we were staying; these gardens leading to 'thornveld' - arid acacia tree-and-shrub landscape beyond. The region is still very dry (but still magnificent and rich in wildlife) at the moment, and grasses that accompany this habitat are rare following a three-year dry-spell.

Notes:

Marico flycatcher is a near-endemic species, whose distribution is confined to thronveld and mixed woodlands of Southern Africa. This bird has recently changed a name, from Bradornis mariquensis (under this name, PN has four spottings - one of them being totally white colour morph, check here: https://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/88... - very interesting spotting dating back to 2012, by C.Sydes), to Melaenornis mariquensis.