African blue flycatcher facts for kids
Quick facts for kids African blue flycatcher |
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Myiagra longicauda |
The African blue flycatcher (also called the blue-crested flycatcher) is a beautiful bird found in western and central Sub-Saharan Africa. Its scientific name is Elminia longicauda. It belongs to a bird family called Stenostiridae.
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What Does It Look Like?
The African blue flycatcher is a small, delicate bird. It has a bright, pale blue body and a short crest on its head. Its tail is quite long. The top part of its body and its tail are bright blue, sometimes looking a bit like cyan. The feathers around its eyes (lores) and its flight feathers are black, but they have blue edges.
Size and Weight
The bird's belly is a grayish-blue color that fades to white. Its beak and legs are black. Young birds (juveniles) are not as bright. They have faint grayish spots on their heads and wings. This flycatcher is about 15 to 18 centimeters (6 to 7 inches) long. It weighs between 7 and 12 grams (0.25 to 0.42 ounces). That's about as light as a few paper clips!
What Does It Sound Like?
The African blue flycatcher's song is a series of slow, soft notes. These notes sound a bit random and not very musical. Its call is a quiet "tsip."
Where Does It Live?
The African blue flycatcher lives in many parts of Sub-Saharan Africa. You can find it from Mauritania, Senegal, and Gambia in the west. It also lives in areas stretching east to Kenya. South of Kenya, it can be found through the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and into northern Angola.
Its Home Environment
This bird likes to live in different kinds of places. Its natural habitats include moist lowland forests and mangrove forests. It also lives in forests along rivers (gallery forests) and montane forests (forests in mountains). You might also spot it in gardens, wooded farmland, and moist savanna areas.
How Does It Behave?
The African blue flycatcher is a graceful bird. It often searches for food among leaves. When it does this, it spreads its tail like a fan and keeps its wings partly open. Sometimes, it also looks for food on the ground. It is known for "flycatching," which means it catches insects while flying.
Bird Families and Types
Scientists believe the African blue flycatcher is closely related to the white-tailed blue flycatcher. These two birds are sometimes grouped together. However, they are still considered part of the Elminia genus, which is a larger group of similar birds.
Different Kinds of African Blue Flycatchers
There are two main types, or subspecies, of the African blue flycatcher.
- The first type is Elminia longicauda longicauda. This one lives in the western part of the bird's range, as far east as Nigeria.
- The second type is Elminia longicauda teresita. This subspecies is a bit paler in color. It is found in the western and southern parts of the bird's habitat.
