From Opus

Photo by Steve G
Arabuko-Sokoke forest, Kenya, August 2007

Rhinopomastus cyanomelas

[edit] Identification

26–30 cm

• Black plumage which in perfect light looks purple glossed
• White spotted primaries form a white bar but without an additional white spot (contra some Wood Hoopoes)
• Black strongly decurved bill
• Black feet

[edit] Similar species

Photo by njlarsen
Greater Kruger area, South Africa, August 2011

Wood Hoopoes generally have less decurved bill; notice that in some of the red billed species, the young have black bill and may be confused with the black-billed Common Scimitarbill.

[edit] Distribution

Southern half of Africa
Western Africa: Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola
Eastern Africa: Somalia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Zambia, Mozambique and Malawi
Southern Africa: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal and Swaziland

[edit] 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)

[edit] Habitat

Savanna, evergreen woodland, thorn-scrub to 2,000m.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Diet

The diet includes insect larvae, insects, spiders, buds, nectar and fruit.

[edit] Breeding

They nest in a tree hole. The 2-4 white eggs are incubated for 17–18 days. The young fledge about 24 days later.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2010. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2010. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/Clements%206.5.xls/view
2. Answers.com
3. Sinclair et al. 2002. Birds of Southern Africa. Princeton Field Guides, Princeton, New Jersey, USA. ISBN 0-691-09682-1

• List of references

[edit] External Links