Barratt’s Warbler

Barratt's warbler (Bradypterus barratti), or the African scrub warbler, is a species of Old World warbler in the family Locustellidae. It is found in eastern South Africa, Lesotho, eastern Zimbabwe, and adjacent western Mozambique. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. == Taxonomy and systematics == Bradypterus barratti was described by Sharpe in 1876 from the Mac Mac goldfields, Mashishing, Mpumalanga. Barratt's Warbler has been regarded as conspecific with the Evergreen Forest Warbler (Bradypterus lopezi); however, they differ in voice and morphology. Currently, the Barratt's Warbler is considered polytypic, with four races being recognized: B. b. barratti, B. b. godfreyi, B. b. priesti and B. b. cathkinensis. == Identification == The bird is 15 cm in size, and its average weight is 15 g. Males and females are alike. In adults, the underparts of these birds are chocolate-brown; their crown-to-tail, rump, and tail are washed rufous. They have dark brown lores, cheeks, and ears coverts, and their supercilium is greyish buff. Their upper wings coverts are rufous-brown and, and the marginal part of the upper wing is buffy. Their primaries are rufous-brown with cinnamon-brown outer webs. Secondaries rufous-brown with cinnamon brown. Their axillaries and underwings are ashy…