Camaroptera brevicaudata
Many authorities, including the IUCN and Birdlife International, consider the Grey-backed Camaroptera to be the same species as the Green-backed Camaroptera (Camaroptera brachyura), and hybrids between the two are recorded from time-to-time. In South Africa the Grey-backed Camaroptera occurs mainly in the North West Province, Gauteng and Limpopo, where it inhabits thickets and riverine vegetation in the savanna biome and feeds on a wide variety of invertebrates. These are shy birds, usually encountered singly or in pairs, that rarely ventures from low, dense vegetation.
Their nests are constructed of living leaves woven and stitched together into a ball shape low to the ground in dense foliage. The nesting season stretches through spring and summer and into early autumn, with clutches of 2-4 eggs being incubated over a two week period. The chicks leave the nest when they’re approximately two weeks old – even before they can fly. Fully grown, the Grey-backed Camaroptera weighs around 10g and measure about 12cm long.
DeWetsWild 
Thanks for introducing me to this bird – we get the green-backed one here. I always think of it as the sound of summer and they have started calling here in the last few weeks. Often heard but seldom seen!
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Your garden really is worthy of being designated a wildlife refuge, Carol! I like the Camaropteras very much – while they’re excellent at going unseen (but not unheard!) when you do see them they just go about their business as if they take no notice of humans.
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Ag jitte, kyk hoe kruip die outjies weg! En tog het julle daarin geslaag om pragtige foto’s van hulle te neem.
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Baie dankie, Corna. Ek dink ons was seker nogal n prentjie soos ons onder die doringtakke agter die kwekwevoeltjies aangeskuif het! 😀
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So ‘n klein ou voeltjie!
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Klein maar getrain! 😀
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Ja 😉😂
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Vreemde Afrikaanse naam het die outjie. Baie mooi duidelik fotos.
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Die Afrikaanse naam is n goeie nabootsing van hul roep, Ineke.
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The eyes of this Camaroptera stand out in every image! Awesome!
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And they are very serious-looking eyes at that! Thank you, Hien.
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How lovely
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Agreed, Sue!
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It is good to see these birds again 🙂
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We’ve seen their green-backed cousins much more frequently, Anne, so I was really grateful to get such good views of them at Marakele during our latest visit there.
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That’s a pretty little bird with a serious-looking beak.
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All the better to spear creepy-crawlies with! 😀
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The chicks leave the nest before they can fly? Is that why the nest is so close to the ground. But what do they do to stay away from predators? Poor little babies!
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If they’re half as good at hiding as their parents are the babies have nothing to fear!
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Whew! Thanks, Dries. I feel better about them leaving the nest so soon now.
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