African blue flycatcher
| African blue flycatcher | |
|---|---|
| |
| In Kibale, Uganda | |
Scientific classification
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Stenostiridae |
| Genus: | Elminia |
| Species: | E. longicauda
|
| Binomial name | |
| Elminia longicauda | |
| |
| Range of African blue flycatcher | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Myiagra longicauda | |
TheAfrican blue flycatcherorblue-crested flycatcher(Elminia longicauda) is a species ofbirdin the familyStenostiridaefrom western and centralSub-Saharan Africa.
Description
[edit]The African blue flycatcher is a dainty, pale, bright blue flycatcher with a short crest and long tail. The entire upper parts and tail are bright blue, shading between blue andcyan,with black lores and black flight feathers edged with blue, the underparts are greyish blue fading to whitish on the belly. The bill and legs are black. Juveniles are duller with faint greyish spotting on the head and wing coverts.[3]It measures 15–18 cm (5.9–7.1 in) in length and weighs 7–12 g (0.25–0.42 oz).[4]
Voice
[edit]The song of the African blue flycatcher is a series of slow, rather random and tuneless sibilant notes strung together in no particular order.[4]Call is a quiet "tsip".[3]
Distribution
[edit]The African blue flycatcher occurs fromMauritania,SenegalandGambiaeast discontinuously toKenyaand south through the easternDemocratic Republic of Congoto northernAngola.[4]
Habitat
[edit]Its naturalhabitatsare moist lowlandforests,mangrove forests, gallery forest,montane forests,gardens, wooded farmland and moistsavanna.[3][4]
Habits
[edit]The African blue flycatcher forages rather gracefully with a fanned tail and half open wings among leaves, as well as occasionally foraging on the ground and flycatching.[3]
Taxonomy
[edit]The African blue flycatcher is thought to form asuperspecieswith thewhite-tailed blue flycatcherand these species; the two have been placed in a separate genusErrannornis,but the differences between this species pair and the other species classified inElminiaare considered insufficient to merit generic separation.[4]
Twosubspeciesof the African blue flycatcher are currently recognised.Elminia longicauda longicauda(Swainson, 1838) which is found in the western part of its range as far east as Nigeria, and the palerElminia longicauda teresitaAntinori, 1864 in the west and the south.[2][4]
References
[edit]- ^BirdLife International (2017)."Elminia longicauda".IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.2017:e.T22707021A118834918.doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T22707021A118834918.en.Retrieved12 November2021.
- ^ab"Elminia longicauda(Swainson, 1838) ".Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) (https:// itis.gov).
- ^abcdBorrow, Nik; Demey, Ron (2001).Birds of Western Africa.A & C Black. pp. 665–666.ISBN0-7136-3959-8.
- ^abcdef"Blue Crested-flycatcher (Elminia longicauda) ".HBW Alive.Lynx Edicions.Retrieved2016-11-09.
External links
[edit]- Image at ADWArchived2009-10-28 at theWayback Machine
