Alternative Names: Tylas; Kinkimavo; Kinkimano
- Tylas eduardi
Includes: Western Tylas Vanga
Identification
20 - 21cm. A medium-sized vanga with a slender silhouette:
- Black head to nape and throat (albigularis with whitish ear-coverts, cheek, chin and throat and black cap)
- Green-grey upperparts and upperwing
- Dark brown primaries
- Green-brown tail
- White band on neck and across upper chest
- Variable rest of underparts, usually notably tinged orangy
- Rarely with white throat and with deep orange breast
- Black bill
Sexes similar. Juveniles like adults but with pale buffish fringes on wing feathers and paler chin.
Distribution
Endemic to Madagascar.
The nominate race is fairly common, albigularis is rare and very local.
Taxonomy
Two subspecies are known:
- T. e. eduardi in eastern Madagascar
- T. e. albigularis very locally in western Madagascar.
Albigularis is sometimes regarded as full species due to differences in plumage and voice.
Habitat
The nominate race is found in primary rainforest, sometimes also in adjacent second growth. Albigularis is poorly known but has been recorded in dry forest and in mangroves.
Behaviour
Feeds on invertebrates like butterflies, caterpillars, dragonflies, grasshoppers, snails and spiders.
Catches its prey by gleaning and hovering. Often found in mixed-species flocks with other vangas, Madagascar Cuckooshrike, Long-billed Bernieria, Malagasy Bulbul, Madagascar Crested Drongo, Common Newtonia and other species.
Breeding season from October to January in east of range, possibly August to September in west. A monogamous species. The nest is a cup made of dead leaves, spider webs and mosses. It's placed 4 - 7m above the ground in a tree. Lays 2 eggs.
A sedentary species.
References
- Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2009. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 14: Bush-shrikes to Old World Sparrows. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553507
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Tylas Vanga. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 3 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Tylas_Vanga
