- Cyanolanius madagascarinus
Includes: Comoro (Blue) Vanga
Identification
16 - 19cm. A small, distinctive vanga:
- Blue crown, nape, cheek, ear-coverts and upperparts (crown and nape with slight lilac tinge)
- Black line through eye
- Rear ear-coverts edged by narrow black line
- Blackish flight-feathers
- Blue tail with blackish tip
- Bright white throat and underparts
- Pale sky-blue eye
- Pale blue bill with dark tip and cutting edges
Females are duller than males with off-white underparts and sometimes a light buffy or pale orange wash on breast.
Juveniles have a grey-blue head and upperparts and a black bill.
Distribution
Madagascar and Comoro Islands.
Widespread and common in Madagascar and on Grand Comoro. Bensoni is extremely rare and almost unknown.
Taxonomy
Subspecies[1]
There are 3 subspecies:
- C. m. madagascarinus:
- Forests of northern and central Madagascar
- C. m. comorensis:
- Grand Comoro Island
- C. m. bensoni:
- Mohéli (Comoro Islands)
Comorensis and bensoni are sometimes regarded as full species, Comoro (Blue) Vanga.
Habitat
Decidious dry forest in western Madagascar and evergreen humid forest in eastern Madagascar. In Comoros found in all types of woodland. Occurs from sea-level up to 1200m.
Behaviour
Feeds on insects and occasionally berries. Often seen feeding while hanging from its feet, upside-down in leaf cluster near ends of thin branches. Forages in groups of up to six birds and commonly in mixed-species flocks with other vangas, Common Newtonia, Malagasy White-eye, Madagascar Cuckoo-shrike, Madagascar Paradise-Flycatcher, Long-billed Green Sunbird or other species. Few data about breeding. Season in Madagascar probably from September to December. The nest is cup-shaped and placed about 12m above the ground in a tree. Probably a mainly sedentary species.
References
- Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2009. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 14: Bush-shrikes to Old World Sparrows. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553507
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Madagascar Blue Vanga. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 23 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Madagascar_Blue_Vanga
