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Crossley's vanga facts for kids

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Crossley's vanga
MystacornisCrossleyiKeulemans.jpg
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Genus:
Mystacornis
Species:
crossleyi

The Crossley's vanga (Mystacornis crossleyi) is a special bird from the Vangidae family. It's also known by other names like Crossley's babbler-vanga or Madagascar groundhunter. This unique bird lives only on the island of Madagascar.

About Crossley's Vanga: Its Unique Family Tree

The Crossley's vanga belongs to a special group of birds. It's the only species in its own genus called Mystacornis. This makes it quite unique!

This bird is a great example of something called convergent evolution. This means its body and beak changed over time to help it find insects. It became so good at looking for food in leaf litter that it started to look like other birds called ground-babblers. Because of this, early scientists first thought it was part of the babbler family.

What Does Crossley's Vanga Look Like?

MystacornisCrossleyiPZSL1870
Details of morphology

The Crossley's vanga is a small bird, about 15 centimeters (6 inches) long. It weighs around 25 grams, which is about the same as a few quarters.

Its most noticeable feature is its long, olive-grey beak. The beak is slightly hooked at the end.

  • Males: The male bird has olive-green feathers on its head, back, wings, and sides. Its belly is grey, and its face and throat are black. It has a white stripe under its beak and a grey stripe above its eye. Its legs are grey, and its eyes are black.
  • Females: The female looks similar to the male. However, her throat and belly are white.

How Crossley's Vanga Lives: Its Behaviour

Breeding and Nests

Crossley's vangas usually breed between August and November. The male bird builds a shallow, cup-shaped bird nest. He uses twigs and small roots to make it. The nest is usually built in a tree or other plants, about 1.5 meters (5 feet) off the ground.

The female bird lays two to three eggs. Both the male and female take turns sitting on the eggs to keep them warm until they hatch. This is called incubation.

What and How It Eats

This bird usually looks for food alone or in pairs. It's a ground-dwelling bird, meaning it spends most of its time on the forest floor. It eats many different kinds of insects and other small creatures.

Its diet includes:

The Crossley's vanga rarely flies. Instead, it walks and runs along the ground. It uses its long beak to poke into leaf litter, moss, and soil to find its prey.

Where Crossley's Vanga Lives: Habitat and Distribution

The Crossley's vanga is endemic to Madagascar. This means it can only be found there and nowhere else in the world. It lives in the eastern part of Madagascar.

You can find it in broadleaf forests, from sea level up to 1800 meters (about 5,900 feet) high.

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