From Opus

Photo by Ian_M
Photographed: Bukuya village, Viti Levu, Fiji.

Artamus mentalis

[edit] Identification

Unmistakeable stocky bird, black above and white below.

[edit] Distribution

Endemic to Fiji, a common bird in western and northern areas.

[edit] Taxonomy

By some considered a subspecies of White-breasted Woodswallow.
Monotypic.

[edit] Habitat

Seen most often perching upright on cables and small branches of trees in open areas.

[edit] Behaviour

A fast and agile flier catching insects on the wing. I observed one bird near Suva catch a very large moth, take it back to a perch and holding the prey under one foot pull it to pieces. They tend to live in small intimate groups and have been observed breeding and feeding young communally. They can be quite agressive but are fascinating to watch.

[edit] External Links

• View more images of this species on the ABID