Apalis flavida
The Yellow-breasted Apalis is a bird of forest and mature woodland habitats with a patchy distribution over sub-Saharan Africa. In South Africa they occur from the Eastern Cape through Kwazulu-Natal and into Mpumalanga and Limpopo. The IUCN considers the species to be of least concern.
A shy insectivorous bird, the Yellow-breasted Apalis is usually seen in pairs or small family groups, and even as part of mixed-species flocks known as “bird parties” moving through the tree canopy, gleaning invertebrates from leaves and twigs.
During the breeding season, which spans spring and summer, both members of the monogamous pair work to construct the ball-shaped nest (with a side entrance) in a tree or shrub using fine plant material and lichens. Clutches of 2 or 3 eggs are incubated over a two week period, with both parents taking turns on the eggs. The chicks leave the nest before they’re 3 weeks old. Fully grown they weigh only about 8g and measure about 12cm in length.
DeWetsWild 