Northern black flycatcher

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The northern black flycatcher (Melaenornis edolioides) is a small passerine bird in the flycatcher family, Muscicapidae.

Northern black flycatcher
M. e. elioides
Banjul, Gambia
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Muscicapidae
Genus: Melaenornis
Species:
M. edolioides
Binomial name
Melaenornis edolioides
(Swainson, 1837)
M. e. lugubris
Kakamega Forest, Kenya

Range

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This is an insectivorous species which is a resident breeder in tropical Africa from Senegal to Ethiopia and south to Zaire and Tanzania.

Habitat

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The northern black flycatcher is found in moist wooded areas and cultivation. It nests in a hole or reuses the old nest of another species, and lays two or three eggs. Breeding takes place in the wet season.

Description

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The northern black flycatcher is 20 centimetres (7.9 in) long. It is a large upright long-tailed flycatcher. The adult is uniformly black. Juveniles are blackish-brown with buff scaling.

The long square-ended tail helps to distinguish this species from two other all-black insectivores, the fork-tailed drongo and the shorter-tailed and red-eyed common square-tailed drongo.

Song

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This flycatcher has a simple musical song and a thin tsee-whee call.

References

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  1. ^ BirdLife International (2016). "Melaenornis edolioides". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22709079A94191295. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22709079A94191295.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.