- Monias benschi
Identification
32 cm (12½ in)
- Long downward-curved bill
- Greyih-brown upperparts
- Long white supercilium
- Whitish underparts
Male: black crescents on the side of the neck and upper breast
Female: rufous spots and a tawny cheek patch
Distribution
Southwest Madagascar.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Habitat
Spiny subdeserts, from sea-level to 130 meters.
Behaviour
Diet
They forage buried invertebrates, including termites; also seeds and fruit.
Breeding
They nest at any time of year; breeding is not related to rainfall. The nests is an exposed platform of twigs built in a bush. The clutch consists of 1 or 2 eggs. Incubation and care of the young is shared by both adults.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved August 2016)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Subdesert Mesite. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 7 June 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Subdesert_Mesite
