- Vanga curvirostris
Identification
25 - 29cm. A medium-sized Vanga.
- Long, hook-tipped black bill with a silvery spot near tip
- Glossy black area from eye and central crown back to upper nape
- White rest of head, neck and nuchal collar
- Black upperparts
- Wide white outer fringes and tips on median and greater upperwing-coverts
- Basal two-thirds of tail mid-grey, subterminal band black, tip white
- White underparts
- Long and sturdy legs
- Dark brown eye
Sexes alike. Juveniles are similar but black of upperparts variably marked with brown.
Distribution
Endemic to Madagascar.
Common in parts of its range and not at any immediate risk.
Taxonomy
Two subspecies are known[1]:
- V. c. curvirostris in north, west and east Madagascar
- V. c. cetera in south Madagascar
Habitat
Found in various forest types, dense scrub, areas around villages and in plantations. Cetera is found in spiny forest.
Occurs from sea-level up to 1500m.
Behaviour
Feeds on large insects and small vertebrates (chameleons, frogs, small birds, bird eggs and young lemurs).
Often seen perchin motionless, waiting for prey.
Usually singly, sometimes in pairs and sometimes in mixed-species flocks with other vangas.
Breeding season from October to January. A monogamous species. The nest is a cup made of dead leaves, spider webs and mosses. It's placed 3 - 10m above the ground in a tree fork. Lays 3 eggs.
Probably 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. (2025) Hook-billed Vanga. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 4 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Hook-billed_Vanga
