- Terpsiphone rufocinerea
Identification
18 cm (excluding tail).
- Glossy blue-black head with slight crest
- Chestnut-rufous (sometimes orange-rufous) upperparts and tail
- Dark greyish-blue underparts
- Rufous vent and undertail-coverts
- Elongated central tail feathers
Females are duller, have glossy blue-back only from forehead to nape, a shorter crest and paler underparts.
Similar species
Distinguished from African Paradise-Flycatcher by rufous undertail-coverts.
Distribution
Central Africa: From southwestern Cameroon south to western Gabon, southern Republic of Congo, southwest DR Congo and northwest Angola.
Common in most of its range.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species.
Bates's Paradise-Flycatcher has been split from this species. Has also been considered conspecific with African Paradise-Flycatcher in the past.
Habitat
Habitat differs through range. Found in primary and mainly secondary forest in Angola. In Republic of Congo in low riverine thickets in open marshes, understorey of flooded forest and sometimes secondary dryland forest. Replaced by Black-headed Paradise-Flycatcher in primary and secondary forest. Also found in mangrove forest and papyrus stands in Gabon.
Occurs in lowlands.
Behaviour
Usually seen solitary or in pairs. Often joins mixed-species flocks.
Diet
Feeds on insects. Forages mainly at medium and low levels.
Sallies to catch prey in rapid looping flight, also gleans leaves with frequent hops from branch to branch.
Breeding
Breeding recorded in January, February, August and November in Gabon, January in Cameroon and January, June and December in DR Congo. A monogamous species. The nest is an open cup made of moss, dry grass, fine fibres and spider webs. It's placed up to 6 m above the ground in a fork of a dead branch or in a trailing vine. Lays 1 to 2 eggs.
Movements
This is a resident species.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2013. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.8., with updates to August 2013. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved July 2014)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Rufous-vented Paradise-Flycatcher. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 17 January 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Rufous-vented_Paradise-Flycatcher
