- Melaenornis edolioides
Identification
20 cm long. Black. If seen in a front view, the tail is graduated. Juveniles are blackish-brown with buff scaling.
Similar Species
Southern Black-Flycatcher is very similar but lacks the graduated tail (except if in moult).
Distribution
Senegal and Gambia east to Eritrea and Ethiopia, and south to Zaire and Tanzania.
Taxonomy
Three subspecies are recognized[1].
- M.e. edolioides
- M.e. lugubris
- M.e. schistaceus
Habitat
Moist wooded areas and cultivation.
Behaviour
It nests in a hole, or reuses the old nest of another species, and lays 2-3 eggs. Breeding takes place in the wet season.
Diet includes insects.
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.
- Birdforum thread mentioning the graduated tail (post 14)
