The eastern nicator makes it into this week’s bird of the week column
They are easily overlooked as they skulk in tangled and dense vegetation.
A FAIRLY common resident found from the Umfolozi River northwards throughout the lowveld of eSwatini and Mpumalanga, and all of Mozambique.
They like riverine forests, thickets in bushveld, where they feed on insects and invertebrates.
Usually solitary with females, sometimes joining mixed bird parties, but not males. They are easily overlooked as they skulk in tangled and dense vegetation. Foraging in low vegetation and on the ground, among leaf litter.
They dive for cover and flick wings when alarmed.
The nicators sing from concealed perches in upper branches of trees. The voice is a loud jumble of rich penetrating notes wip – chip – chop – rrup – chopchopchop – krrip – krrr.
Breeding season is November until January.
The nest is a shallow saucer of twigs, roots and moss, well concealed low down in the fork of a dense bush.
Usually two dull pinkish cream eggs are laid. Incubation and nestling period are unrecorded.
There is no tribal name and in Afrikaans die geelvleknikator.
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