Melaenornis edolioides
The Northern Black Flycatcher, Melaenornis edolioides, is a striking medium-sized passerine bird, instantly recognizable by its entirely glossy black plumage, which often exhibits a blue-black sheen in good light. Adults measure approximately 19-21 cm in length and weigh between 24-40 grams, featuring a relatively long tail and a stout, slightly hooked bill. Its most distinctive field mark is this uniform, jet-black appearance coupled with its upright posture and characteristic 'sit-and-wait'...
Found in open woodlands, savannas, cultivation, gardens, and forest edges, often adapting well to human-altered environments. It occurs from sea level up to approximately 2,000 meters in elevation.
Feeds almost exclusively on insects, including flies, beetles, grasshoppers, ants, and termites, primarily captured by aerial hawking.
The Northern Black Flycatcher is a diurnal and highly conspicuous bird, frequently perching on exposed branches, telephone wires, or buildings from which it surveys its surroundings. Its primary foraging strategy involves sallying forth from these vantage points to catch flying insects in mid-air...
The Northern Black Flycatcher is a widespread resident species across a broad belt of Sub-Saharan Africa. Its range extends from Senegal and Gambia in the west, eastward through the Sahel and Sudano-Guinean savannas of Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, and the Central African Republic...
Least Concern
- Its glossy black plumage can appear iridescent blue or purple in strong sunlight, making it even more striking. - Despite its name, it's an Old World Flycatcher (Muscicapidae), not closely related to New World Tyrant Flycatchers (Tyrannidae). - This adaptable bird often nests in unusual locatio...