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Southern Hyliota | Hyliota australis

The Southern Hyliota is a Southern African bird that belongs to the Sylviidae bird family group which includes birds such as Leaf-Warblers, Babblers, Warblers.

The description for the Southern Hyliota (Latin name Hyliota australis) can be found in the 7th Edition of the Roberts Birds of Southern Africa. The Hyliota australis can be quickly identified by its unique Roberts identification number of 624 and the detailed description of this bird is on page 809. You will find a picture of the Southern Hyliota on page 848.

NOTE: The reference for the information following is "Roberts Birds of Southern Africa", 7th Edition*. This edition contained a number of taxonomic changes as well as changes to English names used traditionally and in earlier editions of most bird books in South Africa. The following paragraph notes such changes if any.

This bird is known as Mashona Hyliota in the Roberts 6th Edition. There have been no changes in the Latin name for the Southern Hyliota between the Roberts 6th and Roberts 7th Edition

The Southern Hyliota has a height of 12 cms and weighs around 11 gms. The head is coloured velvet while the bill is coloured black. The Hyliota australis has a white coloured throat, grey legs and a velvet coloured back. The eyes are brown.

The male Hyliota australis has physical features that are slightly different from the female bird.

Take note of the main distinguishing features such as colour, size and leg length relative to the body size. Colours of body parts can be helpful. Be aware what may appear brown to one person is described in Roberts using some other word ... for example brown, black. See colours used in Roberts.

Head is velvet

Eyes are brown

Bill is black

Legs are grey

Throat is white

Back is velvet

Feeding Habits ...

The Southern Hyliota is usually seen hunting for food within the tree foliage

This bird eats insects such as butterflies, bees, wasps, locusts and ants. These invertebrates are usually hawked aerially, killed and then eaten .

Breeding, Habitat and Nesting Habits ...

The Southern Hyliota is a monogamous bird which means that the bird finds and breeds with one partner for the rest of its life. The bird lays between 2 to 4 eggs and they are coloured brown.

The nest is built high up in the tree canopy and is protected from predators by branches and the dense green foligae.

The Southern Hyliota is mainly found in light and densely wooded forests, where there are Mopane trees.

You can see the Southern Hyliota bird on coastal regions and on the sea shore where the bird will be foraging with other birds

Seen in Flocks, Singles or Pairs Normally ...

The Southern Hyliota is mainly seen singly or in pairs in the wild.

The reference for the information following is "Roberts Birds of Southern Africa", 7th Edition * edited by PAR Hockey, WRJ Dean and PG Ryan, published by "The Trustees of the John Voelcker Bird Book Fund."