Systematics

Originally described as Prinia metopias by Reichenow in 1907, based on a specimen from “Usambara” (15 Reichenow, A. (1907). Neue Vogelarten. Ornithologiske Monatsberichte 15:29–31. Close ). In 1928, Friedmann described a distinct genus Artisornis for the African Tailorbird (16 Friedmann, H. (1928). A collection of birds from the Uluguru and the Usambara mountains, Tanganyika Territory. Ibis 70:74–99. Close ), while others sometimes placed it in the South Asian tailorbird genus Orthotomus because of similarities in plumage and stitched-leaf nest architecture (17 Fry, C. H. (1976). On the systematics of African and Asian tailor-birds (Sylviinae). Arnoldia 8:1–15. Close ). However, Artisornis metopias has 10 rectrices while Orthotomus has 12, and molecular DNA data has more recently associated Artisornis metopias with African cisticolid warblers (Cisticolidae), confirming that it is distantly related to Orthotomus (18 Nguembock, B., J. Fjeldså, A. Tillier, and É. Pasquet (2007). A phylogeny for the Cisticolidae (Aves: Passeriformes) based on nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequence data, and a re-interpretation of a unique nest-building specialization. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 42(1):272–286. Close , 19 Olsson, U., M. Irestedt, G. Sangster, P. G. P. Ericson, and P. Alström (2013). Systematic revision of the avian family Cisticolidae based on a multi-locus phylogeny of all genera. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 66(3):790–799. Close , 20 Bowie, R. C. K, E. Pasquet, J. P. McEntree, F. Njilima, and J. Fjeldså (2018). The systematics and biogeography of African tailorbirds (Cisticolidae: Artisornis) with comment on the choice of Bayesian branch-length prior when analyzing heterogeneous data. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 118:172–183. Close ).

Geographical variation of size and plumages is slight, although phylogeographic analyses using DNA sequence data recovered four geographically structured clades: (1) the northern East and West Usambara Mountains; (2) the central Rubeho and Udzungwa Mountains; (3) the central but isolated Uluguru Mountains; and (4) the southern Matengo Highlands and Serra Jeci in Mozambique. Using genetic divergence to estimate divergence time, the four main clades appear to have all diverged from each other about 1 million years ago. In addition to these four main clades, the southernmost clade, occurring in the Matengo Highlands and Serra Jeci forests, shows addition population structure, with these two areas estimated to have diverged about 345 thousand years before the present (20 Bowie, R. C. K, E. Pasquet, J. P. McEntree, F. Njilima, and J. Fjeldså (2018). The systematics and biogeography of African tailorbirds (Cisticolidae: Artisornis) with comment on the choice of Bayesian branch-length prior when analyzing heterogeneous data. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 118:172–183. Close ). It should be noted that DNA from the populations in Nguru and Ukaguru Mountains, or Tanzania’s Southern Highlands and Mount Chitagal in Mozambique, was not included in the study. While it seems likely that the population on Mount Chitagal belongs to the fourth clade, since this mountain is situated between the Matengo Highlands and Serra Jeci, it remains unknown which clades the populations on Nguru, Ukaguru, and the Southern Highlands should be associated with.

Two subspecies recognized (21 Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood (2022). The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2022. Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. Close ). Plumage and meristic character assessments are still inadequate, and despite the levels of genetic divergence among phylogeographic clades (see Geographic Variation), it is suggested that the taxonomic status of these highly disjunct populations is not formally revised before more morphological and vocal evidence is available (20 Bowie, R. C. K, E. Pasquet, J. P. McEntree, F. Njilima, and J. Fjeldså (2018). The systematics and biogeography of African tailorbirds (Cisticolidae: Artisornis) with comment on the choice of Bayesian branch-length prior when analyzing heterogeneous data. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 118:172–183. Close ). For this reason, only the nominate form and subspecies altus of the Uluguru Mountains are included here.

Analyses of extensive mitochondrial and nuclear DNA datasets have resolved that African Tailorbird (Artisornis metopias) and Long-billed Tailorbird (Artisornis moreaui) are sister species that are estimated to have diverged from each other ca. 2.83 million years before the present (20 Bowie, R. C. K, E. Pasquet, J. P. McEntree, F. Njilima, and J. Fjeldså (2018). The systematics and biogeography of African tailorbirds (Cisticolidae: Artisornis) with comment on the choice of Bayesian branch-length prior when analyzing heterogeneous data. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 118:172–183. Close ). This study also suggested that the genus Artisornis is sister to Oreolais, which includes two species: Black-collared Apalis (Oreolais pulcher) and Rwenzori Apalis (Oreolais ruwenzorii) (20 Bowie, R. C. K, E. Pasquet, J. P. McEntree, F. Njilima, and J. Fjeldså (2018). The systematics and biogeography of African tailorbirds (Cisticolidae: Artisornis) with comment on the choice of Bayesian branch-length prior when analyzing heterogeneous data. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 118:172–183. Close ); a sister relationship between Artisornis and Oreolais was also recovered in a large phylogenetic study of Cisticolidae by Olsson et al. (19 Olsson, U., M. Irestedt, G. Sangster, P. G. P. Ericson, and P. Alström (2013). Systematic revision of the avian family Cisticolidae based on a multi-locus phylogeny of all genera. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 66(3):790–799. Close ).

None recorded (23 McCarthy, E. M. (2006). Handbook of Avian Hybrids of the World. Oxford University Press, Oxford, United Kingdom. Close ).

Also known as Red-capped Forest-Warbler.

Information needed.