NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Somali Crombec
Sylvietta isabellina D. G. Elliot, 1897
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Somali crombec (Sylvietta isabellina) is a species of African warbler, formerly placed in the family Sylviidae. It is found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Tanzania. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.
A subspecies gaekwari described by R.B. Sharpe and named after the Maharaja of Baroda Sayajirao Gaekwad III is considered to be indistinguishable from the nominate form.
Wikipedia contributors, Somali crombec; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T04:08:01.816544+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Sylvietta isabellina D. G. Elliot, 1897
- Name authority
- D. G. Elliot, 1897
- Common name
- Somali Crombec
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Macrosphenidae
- Genus
- Sylvietta
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderPasseriformes
- familyMacrosphenidae Wolters, 1983
- genusSylvietta Lafresnaye, 1839
- speciesSylvietta isabellina D. G. Elliot, 1897
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Sylvietta. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Philippa's CrombecSylvietta philippae J. G. Williams, 1955 | MacrosphenidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Long-billed CrombecSylvietta rufescens (Vieillot, 1817) | MacrosphenidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Green CrombecSylvietta virens Cassin, 1859 | MacrosphenidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Northern CrombecSylvietta brachyura Lafresnaye, 1839 | MacrosphenidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| White-browed CrombecSylvietta leucophrys Sharpe, 1891 | MacrosphenidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Lemon-bellied CrombecSylvietta denti Ogilvie-Grant, 1906 | MacrosphenidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Red-capped CrombecSylvietta ruficapilla Barboza du Bocage, 1877 | MacrosphenidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Red-faced CrombecSylvietta whytii Shelley, 1894 | MacrosphenidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- Elliot, & Daniel Giraud. (1897). Catalogue of a Collection of Birds Obtained by the Expedition into Somali-land. Field Columbian Musuem, Ornithological Series, Vol. 1, No. 2. Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:53N8D. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.