Apalis

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Apalis are small insect-eating birds in the genus Apalis, in the family Cisticolidae. They live in forests, woodlands and scrub across sub-Saharan Africa. They are slender birds with long tails and thin bills for catching insects. They are usually brown, grey or green on top, and many species have bright colors on their undersides. Males and females look similar, though males are sometimes brighter.

The genus Apalis was named by William Swainson in 1833. The type species is the bar-throated apalis. The name Apalis comes from Greek hapalos, meaning delicate or gentle. Apalises were traditionally placed in the Old World warbler family Sylviidae, but they are now classified in the family Cisticolidae.

There are about 24 to 26 Apalis species, depending on the source. Some birds once called apalises have been moved to other genera, such as Orthotomus (African tailorbirds) or Artisornis. The red-fronted prinia is now placed in the genus Prinia. Recent studies suggest the genus may not be a single, perfectly related group; two species (black-collared and Ruwenzori apalises) are only distantly related to the others. Some species formerly in Apalis are now in Oreolais.