Apalis thoracica
A denizen of wooded habitats ranging from thorn thickets in the arid Karoo to evergreen forests, and including exotic plantations, suburban parks and gardens, the Bar-throated Apalis is a curious and rather confident little bird that feeds mainly on invertebrates caught among the leaves and bark of trees and shrubs.
The Bar-throated Apalis is usually seen in pairs or small groups, often in association with other small insectivorous birds. They nest in spring and summer, rearing 2-4 chicks that hatch after an almost three week long incubation period. Both parents are equally involved in the incubation of the eggs and feeding of the chicks, which leave the nest at about three weeks of age but remain with their parents for a considerable time thereafter. Fully grown they measure approximately 13cm in length and weigh around 11g.
In South Africa, the Bar-throated Apalis is found in all provinces with the exception of most of the Free State and Northern Cape. North of our borders the species occurs through several countries in southern and eastern Africa as far as the border between Kenya and Tanzania. The IUCN considers it to be of least concern.
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