- Mesitornis variegatus
Identification
31 cm (12¼ in)
- Reddish-brown back
- Pale cream throat, eyebrows and breast
- Grey neck
- Black crescent-shaped markings scattered on the sides of the breast
- Tawny chest band
- White face
- White supercilium
- Dark malar stripes
- Short dark straight bill
Distribution
Western Madagascar.
Taxonomy
A monotypic species.
Habitat
Western deciduous dry forests with sandy soils, below 150 m.
Behaviour
Diet
The diet consists of small invertebrates and plant seeds. Which they find in the leaf litter and on low bushes.
Breeding
Monogomous. The breeding period is between October and April. They build a simple platform nest of sticks about 3 metres from the ground. The clutch consists of 1-3 eggs.
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 September 2016)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) White-breasted Mesite. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 2 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/White-breasted_Mesite
