Bar-throated Apalis

Common resident. Highly variable; most common morphs illustrated, all males. Yellowest morph (a) occurs in northern South Africa; brown-capped morph (b) in Zimbabwe; morph with grey upper parts (c) in the southwest. Subtler variations also occur. In female, the black throat-band is usually narrower, sometimes entirely lacking. Told from [Rudd’s Apalis] by pale yellow eye, white outer tail-feathers plus darker upper parts. Has a loud, distinctive call, ‘pilly-pilly-pilly…’; pairs also sing in duet, the female’s call being much faster than the male’s. Occurs in pairs and frequently in bird parties in heavily wooded kloofs, streams, hillsides and forests.