- Myiagra vanikorensis
Identification
13 cm (5 in)
Nominate Male
- Glossy bluish-black head, chin and throat
- Bluish-grey back
- Blackish upper wing and tail
- Orange underparts
Female is similar, but paler overall
There is some variation based on subspecies.
Distribution
Australasia: found in the Santa Cruz Islands, in the southern Solomon Islands and the islands of Fiji.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
There are 5 subspecies[1]:
- M. v. vanikorensis:
- Vanikoro (Santa Cruz Islands)
- M. v. rufiventris:
- West Fiji Islands
- M. v. kandavensis:
- Kadavu and adjacent islands (Fiji)
- M. v. dorsalis:
- South-central Fiji Islands and northern Lau Archipelago
- M. v. townsendi:
- South Lau Archipelago (Fiji)
Habitat
Forests and forest edges, town gardens and cultivated areas with scattered trees.
Behaviour
Breeding
Both sexes build the small cup nest from plant fibres, grass stems and roots; lined with animal hair. It is decorated on the outside with lichen and leaves and placed high in a tree on a horizontal branch. The clutch consists of 1-2 pinkish-white freckled eggs which are incubated by both parents; the young are cared for by both parents too.
Diet
The diet consists of insects, small lizards and small fruits.
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/
- Avibase
- iNaturalist.org
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved May 2017)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Vanikoro Flycatcher. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 13 January 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Vanikoro_Flycatcher
