Akalate da Gabela

The Gabela Akalat (Sheppardia gabela) is a small bird endemic to Angola and one of the most iconic symbols of the escarpment's biodiversity.
It lives mainly in the lower layers of the forest, where it searches for insects and other small invertebrates among fallen leaves, roots and decomposing plant material.
Its global distribution is restricted to a few isolated forest patches in the Gabela region. This means that the destruction of what may appear to be a relatively small area could result in the loss of a significant proportion of the species' entire available habitat.
During the 2004 field survey, the Gabela Akalat was the second most frequently captured species in the mist nets used by the researchers. The study also provided the first known description of the plumage of a juvenile individual.