Macronyx sharpei

It is 16-17 cm long, with upperparts heavily marked with buff and rufous streaks, yellow underparts, and white outertail feathers in flight.

The Macronyx sharpei is classified as Endangered (EN), considered to be facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild.

The Sharpe's Longclaw, Macronyx sharpei, is a passerine bird in the longclaw family Motacillidae, which also includes the pipits and wagtails. It is endemic to Kenya. It is 16-17 cm long, with upperparts heavily marked with buff and rufous streaks, yellow underparts, and white outertail feathers in flight. This bird is endangered, with an estimated population of less than 20,000. Its grassland habitat is being replaced by cultivation and woodlots. More

Longclaw Macronyx sharpei (or Gathonjo ka wer?-ini in Kikuyu), a pipit-like species entirely restricted to the rapidly disappearing grasslands of the 77,000ha Kinangop Plateau (an hour’s drive from Nairobi). I offered the photographs to any interested conservation organisations and - unexpectedly - within a few months 10,000 Birds found ourselves in a position where we were actively supporting conservation in the region and had begun working with local NGOs (in particular the Friends of Kinangop Plateau (FoKP)) and stakeholders. More

Macronyx sharpei occurred at densities of 1.2 individuals sq ha on grasslands and was the second-most commonly observed species. Aberdares Cisticola Cisticola aberdare was recorded in only three plots, where seven individuals were counted. The IBA has great potential for conserving highland grassland endemics as it holds significant areas of large, high-quality grassland patches. Future conservation action should concentrate on areas where such grasslands persist. More