Neodrepanis coruscans
The Common Sunbird-Asity (Neodrepanis coruscans) is a true jewel of Madagascar's humid rainforests, belonging to the endemic bird family Philepittidae. Males are strikingly beautiful, boasting metallic blue-black upperparts and a vibrant yellow belly contrasting with olive flanks, all complemented by a distinctive, bright turquoise-green fleshy wattle around each eye that becomes especially brilliant during breeding season. Measuring approximately 10-11 cm (4 inches) in length and weighing a ...
Exclusively found in humid primary evergreen rainforests of eastern Madagascar, typically at mid to high elevations (800-2000m).
Primarily nectivorous, feeding on nectar from a variety of rainforest flowers, supplemented with small insects and spiders for protein. Forages by hovering or perching.
Common Sunbird-Asities are primarily diurnal, active throughout the day foraging for sustenance. They exhibit a remarkable foraging strategy, often hovering like hummingbirds to extract nectar from tubular flowers, utilizing their specialized long, curved bills. Beyond nectar, they also probe bar...
The Common Sunbird-Asity is strictly endemic to the eastern humid rainforest belt of Madagascar. Its distribution extends along the eastern escarpment from the extreme north, through prominent national parks such as Marojejy, Masoala, and Andasibe-Mantadia, down to the southern reaches of the rai...
Least Concern
- The Common Sunbird-Asity belongs to the Philepittidae family, one of only four bird families endemic to Madagascar. - Despite its name, it is not closely related to true sunbirds (Nectariniidae) or asities (Philepitta), but rather exhibits a fascinating case of convergent evolution due to its s...