Stierling's Wren-Warbler (Calamonastes stierlingi) [XC46125]
by Jelmer Poelstra from Hoedspruit, South Africa (song)
Stierling's Wren-Warbler (Calamonastes stierlingi) [XC298449]
by Peter Boesman from Dzalanyama Forest Reserve, southern access road, Central Region, Malawi (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), Miombo Wren-Warbler (Calamonastes undosus) and Barred Wren-Warbler (Calamonastes fasciolatus). Sometimes considered conspecific with Grey Wren-Warbler (Calamonastes simplex) and Miombo Wren-Warbler (Calamonastes undosus). Has a narrow (15-20 km wide) zone of hybridization with Miombo Wren-Warbler (Calamonastes undosus) in central Zambia and northern Malawi, but quite distinct in plumage and songs (hybrids intermediate in appearance, may have intermediate songs). Geographical overlap locally with Barred Wren-Warbler (Calamonastes fasciolatus), but the two are segregated by habitat (no hybridization recorded).
Proposed subspecies buttoni (Zambia west of Luangwe Valley) synonymized with nominate.
Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Miombo Wren-Warbler (Calamonastes undosus).
The following 4 subspecies are recognised:
stierlingi Reichenow, 1901 - South-eastern Tanzania, northern Mozambique, eastern Malawi and western and central Zambia. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Miombo Wren-Warbler (Calamonastes undosus).
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 Miombo Wren-Warbler (Calamonastes undosus).
olivascens (Clancey, 1969) - Central Mozambique. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Miombo Wren-Warbler (Calamonastes undosus).
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 Miombo Wren-Warbler (Calamonastes undosus).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet