Miombo Wren-Warbler (Calamonastes undosus) [XC363170]
by from Gwassi Hills (eastern foothills), Nyanza, Kenya (song)
Miombo Wren-Warbler (Calamonastes undosus) [XC519875]
by James Bradley from Cusseque Campsite, Chitembo, Bi\u00e9, Angola (song)
Subspecies
Calamonastes simplex (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) has been split into simplex and undosa and both placed in the genus Camaroptera following Dowsett and Forbes-Watson (1993). Calamonastes stierlingi (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) is treated as a subspecies of Camaroptera undosa, also following Dowsett and Forbes-Watson (1993).
Forms a superspecies with Grey Wren-Warbler (Calamonastes simplex), Stierling's Wren-Warbler (Calamonastes stierlingi) and Barred Wren-Warbler (Calamonastes fasciolatus). Sometimes considered conspecific with Grey Wren-Warbler (Calamonastes simplex) and Stierling's Wren-Warbler (Calamonastes stierlingi), but there is no intergradation with Grey Wren-Warbler (Calamonastes simplex) where ranges meet (in northern Tanzania and south-western Kenya). There is a narrow (15-20 km wide) zone of hybridization with Stierling's Wren-Warbler (Calamonastes stierlingi) in central Zambia and northern Malawi, but quite distinct in plumage and songs (hybrids intermediate in appearance, may have intermediate songs). Aberrant juveniles of subspecies cinereus having buffy-olive underparts were erroneously described as a separate taxon, subspecies congica of Bleating Camaroptera (Camaroptera brachyura).
The following 8 subspecies are recognised:
undosus (Reichenow, 1882) - Eastern Rwanda, eastern Burundi, Tanzania and south-eastern Kenya.
cinereus Reichenow, 1887 - Lower R Congo in western DRCongo, northern and north-eastern Angola (Cabinda, and Malanje and Lunda Norte south to Huambo) and north-western Zambia.
huilae (Meise, 1958) - West-central Angola.
katangae Neave, 1909 - South-eastern DRCongo and Zambia (except north-west).
stierlingi Reichenow, 1901 - South-eastern Tanzania, northern Mozambique, eastern Malawi and western and central Zambia. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Stierling's Wren-Warbler (Calamonastes stierlingi).
olivascens (Clancey, 1969) - Central Mozambique. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Stierling's Wren-Warbler (Calamonastes stierlingi).
irwini (Smithers & Paterson, 1956) - Extreme south-eastern Angola, extreme north-eastern Namibia and northern Botswana through southern Zambia and Zimbabwe plateau to western Malawi and north-western Mozambique. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Stierling's Wren-Warbler (Calamonastes stierlingi).
pintoi (Irwin, 1960) - North-eastern South Africa, Swaziland and extreme southern Mozambique (south of R Limpopo). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Stierling's Wren-Warbler (Calamonastes stierlingi).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet