Trochocercus cyanomelas
The Blue-mantled Crested Flycatcher, *Trochocercus cyanomelas*, is a strikingly elegant passerine belonging to the Monarchidae family, known for its vibrant plumage and distinctive crest. Males boast a glossy, iridescent blue-black head, mantle, crest, throat, and breast, sharply contrasting with a pure white belly and vent. Females share the blue-black upperparts but often exhibit a duller, less glossy appearance with a grayish-white throat and breast, and a less pronounced crest. This speci...
This species primarily inhabits subtropical or tropical dry forests, moist lowland forests, mangroves, and dense thickets, preferring the mid to lower strata of woodlands and riverine vegetation from sea level up to around 1,800 meters.
Their diet consists almost exclusively of small insects, including flies, beetles, moths, and caterpillars, which they primarily obtain by gleaning from foliage and branches, and occasionally through aerial hawking.
Blue-mantled Crested Flycatchers are diurnal and highly active, often observed singly or in pairs, though they readily join mixed-species foraging flocks. They are restless foragers, gleaning insects from foliage and branches with quick, agile movements, and occasionally sallying to catch flying ...
The Blue-mantled Crested Flycatcher is widely distributed across sub-Saharan Africa, predominantly resident throughout its range. Its breeding and year-round distribution extends from eastern Kenya and southern Somalia, south through Tanzania, Mozambique, and Malawi, into Zimbabwe, Botswana, and ...
Least Concern
- The Blue-mantled Crested Flycatcher's crest is erectile, allowing it to raise or lower it depending on its mood or display, making it particularly striking when agitated or during courtship. - Despite its common name, it belongs to the Monarchidae family, which are Old World flycatchers, rather...