From Opus

Photo by pjbphotos
Location: Amboseli National Park, Kenya

Amaurornis flavirostra

[edit] Identification

• 19–23 cm
• Plumage mainly black
• Brown/olive tinge on the wings and upperparts
• Red eye
• Yellow bill
• Feet & legs red (duller when not breeding)

• Sexes similar, though male is larger

• Immatures
• Brown upperparts
• Dark grey head and underparts
• Greeny- yellow bill
• Dull red feet and legs.

[edit] Distribution

Sub-Saharan Africa.

[edit] Taxonomy

A monotypic species.

[edit] Habitat

Fresh water marshes with vegetation to provide cover.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Breeding

This species will perch on hippopotamuses and warthogs and remove parasites.

Both sexes build the deep neat bowl nest from wetland plants, placed in marsh vegetation or on the ground in a dry location. 2-6 cream or white, and spotted with brown or chestnut, eggs are laid. They are sometimes assisted by the young from previous broods, incubation 13–19 days.

[edit] Diet

The diet includes invertebrates, small fish, frogs and seeds; it will take the eggs of birds and scavenge on carcasses. It will forage on the ground or climb reeds to find prey including flying insects.

[edit] References

Wikipedia

[edit] External Links