Bernier's Vanga

Oriolia bernieri

Identification

23cm. A medium-sized Vanga with a stout, conical bill.

Male

• Black plumage with green sheen
• Greyish-white eye
• Light-grey bill and legs

Female

• Dark tan-rufous plumage, brighter on wing
• Almost all feathers with fine black bars
• Uniformly rufous primaries

Juveniles are similar to females.

Distribution

Endemic to northeast Madagascar.
Scarce and patchily distributed restricted-range species, at risk because of ongoing loss and degradation of habitat.

Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species^[1].

Habitat

Moist lowland forests. Occurs from sea-level up to 1000m.

Behaviour

Feeds on invertebrates (spiders, crickets, cockroaches) and small vertebrates (geckos).
Usually seen in pairs or in mixed-species flocks with other vangas.
Breeding season from September to December. Uncertainities about breeding system, polyandrous behaviour observed. The nest is a cup made of root material, palm fibres, dry leaves and muss. It's placed 11 - 14m above the ground inside a palm-leaf whorl. Lays 3 eggs.
Probably a sedentary species.

References

1. 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.
2. 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

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Bernier's Vanga. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 18 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Bernier%27s_Vanga

External Links

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