Blue-faced Malkoha

Photo by rimmer
Goa, India, November 2005

Phaenicophaeus viridostris

Rhopodytes viridirostris

Identification

39cm
Greenish-grey above, grey head, glossy blue-green wings and a long green-blackish tail with white tips. Very similar to larger Green-billed Malkoha, but orbital skin around eye cobalt-blue instead of red. Also dark throat and breast. White tail tips larger than in tristis form of Green-billed Malkoha.
Slow and direct flight with short and rounded wings.

Distribution

Peninsular India. From Orissa to NW Maharashtra, south to Sri Lanka.

Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species^[1]. Sometimes placed in genus Rhopodytes.

Habitat

Fairly common in dry and secondary woodland, thorn scrub and bush. Mostly in lowlands up to 1000m.

Behaviour

This species doesn't migrate.
Skulking low through bushes, but rarely on ground or in flight.

Breeding

May breed nearly all year, mainly in March to July in India. Builds a thin twig platform in a bush, lined with leaves. Lays 2 eggs.

Diet

Feeds on insects, caterpillars, grasshoppers, cicadas, beetles, sometimes lizards or fruit.

References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Blue-faced Malkoha. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 15 January 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Blue-faced_Malkoha

External Links

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