Yellow-eyed drongo flycatcher

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Yellow-eyed drongo flycatcher
Systematics
Subordination : Songbirds (passeri)
Family : Flycatcher (Muscicapidae)
Subfamily : True flycatcher (Muscicapinae)
Tribe : Muscicapini
Genre : Melaenornis
Type : Yellow-eyed drongo flycatcher
Scientific name
Melaenornis ardesiacus
Berlioz , 1936

The yellow-eyed drongo flycatcher ( Melaenornis ardesiacus ) is a species of bird in the flycatcher family . It is common in central Africa.

description

The yellow-eyed drongocatcher reaches a size of 18 centimeters and a weight of 26 to 35 grams. Chin, reins and forehead are black. The plumage is generally dark blue-gray. The belly and flanks are a little lighter. The hand and arm wings are black. The iris is bright pale yellow. The bill and legs are black. The sexes look the same. The young birds have fine white spots on the chest, which can be seen particularly clearly on the sides. The belly and lower tail covers have less noticeable spots. The iris is dark or grayish yellow.

The young birds are not yet adequately described. The call consists of a rasping “ raap, raap ” and a harsh “ tch-thec ”.

Occurrence

The distribution area of ​​the yellow-eyed drongo flycatcher extends from the Albertine Rift in southwestern Uganda , across northwestern Rwanda , the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Itombwe Highlands to the northern edge of Lake Tanganyika .

habitat

The yellow-eyed drongo flycatcher occurs on the edges of primary and secondary forests , clearings as well as on the bush-dominated grounds and slopes of valleys at altitudes of 1300 to 2450 meters. It can be seen on isolated shrubs, small trees or on lianas .

Way of life

The diet consists of insects, including caterpillars and beetle larvae, which are picked from protruding branches or from the flower spikes of the lobelia at a height of one to twelve meters . The yellow-eyed drongo flycatcher lives individually, in pairs or in small family groups of three to four birds. The breeding season of monogamous and territorial birds is from January to April. The bowl-shaped nest is erected in a fork of a branch at a height of four to five meters in small trees. It is made up of two types of soft green deciduous moss and is padded with fine stems and fibers. The clutch consists of two eggs. Further information on the breeding biology is not available.

literature

  • J. Del Hoyo, A. Elliot, J. Sargatal (Eds.): Old World Flycatchers to Old World Warblers. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2006, ISBN 84-96553-06-X ( Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 11).

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