- Philepitta schlegeli
Identification
12.5-14cm. A small, rotund bird with a short tail and short bill and legs
Male
- Mostly black head with apple-green and cobalt-blue wattle around eye
- Brilliant yellow upper mantle and underparts
- Olive-green back, with duller wings and tail
- Dark brown eye
- Blackish-bill with orange-yellow gape
- Slate-grey feet
In non-breeding plumage olive-green above with some creamy streaking, wings and tail brownish, yellow on underparts duller and mottled.
Female
- Similar to non-breeding male but no black on head
- Olive-green upperparts
- Dull yellow underparts, dark mottled
- Fleshy yellow orbital ring
Distribution
Patchily distributed in northwestern Madagascar.
A scarce restricted-range species.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species.
Habitat
Dry forest in lowlands. Occurs from sea-level up to 800m.
Behaviour
Usually seen singly, sometimes in small groups or in mixed-species flocks.
Diet
Feeds mostly on fruits, takes also some insects and nectar when fruits are scarce.
Breeding
Breeding season from October to December. Probably a polygynous species. The globular nest is made of moss with bark or leaf stripes by the female.
Movements
No movements known.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2015. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2015, with updates to August 2015. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliot, and D Christie, eds. 2003. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 8: Broadbills to Tapaculos. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8487334504
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Schlegel's Asity. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 15 January 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Schlegel%27s_Asity
