Least Concern Birds

Long-billed Crombec

Sylvietta rufescens

Long-billed Crombec feeds on ants and insects in African savannas and woodlands.

Scientific name	Sylvietta rufescens
Conservation status	Least Concern
Class	Aves
Order	Passeriformes
Family	Macrosphenidae
Size	Male: approximately 10-12 cm, weight about 8-12 g; female: similar to male

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How to identify

Long, slender bill; small body size, short tail; overall plumage gray-brown with a pale yellowish tint; distinct eye ring, relatively large eyes; agile, often active in shrubs

Habitat

Open woodland savanna, shrubs, open woodlands, and edges of secondary forests

Diet

Primarily insectivorous, including ants, beetles, and other small invertebrates

When it is active

Diurnal, active during the day

Where it lives

Mainly distributed in East Africa, including Kenya, Tanzania, and adjacent areas; commonly found in Maasai Mara National Reserve

How to spot it

Carefully observe at dawn and dusk along shrub edges or in open savanna, paying attention to its quick hopping and pecking behavior

Photography tips

Use a telephoto lens to capture details of its slender long bill and movements; photograph during soft morning or evening light; keep background simple to highlight the bird