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Dark Newtonia - BirdForum Opus

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Newtonia amphichroa

Identification

12cm. A small, warbler-like Vanga:

  • Dark olive-brown top and side of heads and upperparts
  • Olive-brown upperwing, flight feathers darker with broad light olive edges
  • Olive-brown tail
  • Deep buff or deep olive-buff underparts, slightly paler on chin and throat, darker and browner on breast and flanks
  • Buffy-white undertail-coverts
  • Golden-yellow eye, may appear dark in field
  • Black or dark brown bill
  • Dark grey legs

Sexes similar. Juveniles are much more rufous than adults.

Distribution

Endemic to eastern Madagascar.
Frequently found in forest with dense understorey.

Taxonomy

Two subspecies are recognized[1].

  • N. a. amphichroa - Madagascar (montane forests in northeastern and east central Madagascar)
  • N. a. lavarambo - southeastern Madagascar (montane forests from the Andringitra region south to the vicinity of Tolagnaro)

Birds from northeastern Madagascar have been described as Newtonia olivacea, but this is only a junior synonym of amphichroa.

Habitat

Dense understorey in humid evergreen forest. Occurs from 400 - 2300m.

Behaviour

A sedentary species.

Diet

Feeds on small invertebrates (spiders, beetles, ants).
Forages near the ground in family flocks, often with other understorey birds.

Breeding

Breeding confirmed in November, breeds probably also from August to October. The nest is a deep cup, hidden in low vegetation. No other data available.

References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
  2. Del Hoyo, J, A Elliot, and D Christie, eds. 2006. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 11: Old World Flycatchers to Old World Warblers. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553064

Recommended Citation

External Links

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