- Rhinopomastus cyanomelas
Identification
26–30 cm. Purple glossed black plumage, white spotted primaries, black decurved bill, black feet.
Distribution
Southern half of Africa.
Taxonomy
Rhinopomastus cyanomelas is polytypic; there are two subspecies:[1]
- R. c. cyanomelas
- Angola and Namibia to northern South Africa
- R. c. schalowi
- Somalia to Zambia and KwaZulu-Natal (eastern South Africa)
Habitat
Savanna, woodland, thorn-scrub to 2,000m.
Behaviour
The diet includes insect larvae, insects, spiders, buds, nectar and fruit.
They nest in a tree hole; 2-4 white eggs are laid and incubated for 17–18 days. The young fledge about 24 days later.
References
- Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- Answers.com
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Common Scimitarbill. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 6 June 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Common_Scimitarbill
