Common Scimitarbill

Scimitarbill ( Rhinopomastus cyanomelas )

The scimitarbill ( Rhinopomastus cyanomelas ) is an African bird of the family tree Hoopoes.

Features

The 28-30 cm long scimitarbill is a slender bird with iridescent blue - violet plumage. The long, tapering down tail has a white tip. In flight on the wings of a white bandage round visible. The long crescent shaped beak is black. Like other Hopfarten he exudes a musty smell to ward off potential enemies. The bird calls with a sequence plaintive tones.

Occurrence

The distribution area extends from Somalia and Kenya through East Africa to Angola and South Africa. The scimitarbill lives on trees in open woods and in dry, open scrubland. He comes from sea level before up to a height of 2400 m.

Behavior

With its strong feet with sharp claws of scimitarbill searches often head down constantly tree trunks to forage from, and pierced with his beak columns in the bark to get at insects and their eggs and larvae. He also catches larger insects such as praying mantises, and occasionally he also takes nectar to him.

The lively bird usually lives as a solitary or in pairs, sometimes he will but also found in small, associated with the Baumhopf groups of about five animals.

Reproduction

The scimitarbill breeds in a narrow tree hollow. The female incubates two to four eggs about two weeks long, while the males feed induce creates. The young that hatch naked and blind, fledge after two weeks.