Calicalicus rufocarpalis
The Red-shouldered Vanga (*Calicalicus rufocarpalis*) is a strikingly colored songbird endemic to the arid spiny forests of southwestern Madagascar. Measuring approximately 14 cm (5.5 inches) in length, males are easily identified by their glossy black head, contrasting white nape, brilliant rufous-chestnut shoulders (the 'red shoulders'), greyish back, and clean white underparts. A prominent pale pink bill with a black tip and a distinctive bright red orbital ring further enhance its unique ...
This vanga exclusively inhabits the subarid thorny thickets, spiny forest, and dry deciduous forests of southwestern Madagascar, typically found at elevations below 100 meters.
Its diet consists almost exclusively of insects and other small invertebrates, which it gleans from leaves and branches.
The Red-shouldered Vanga is typically observed in pairs or small family groups, often participating in mixed-species foraging flocks, particularly with other vangas. It is diurnal, actively searching for food throughout the day and likely roosting communally or individually in dense vegetation at...
The Red-shouldered Vanga is strictly endemic to a narrow strip of southwestern Madagascar, primarily confined to the spiny forest and dry deciduous forest ecoregions. Its known distribution stretches from the Mangoky River in the north down to the Onilahy River in the south, encompassing specific...
Vulnerable
- The Red-shouldered Vanga was one of the last bird species to be formally described, identified only in 1996 and scientifically named in 1998. - Its scientific epithet, *rufocarpalis*, translates to 'red-wristed,' directly referencing its striking rufous-chestnut shoulders. - This species is a t...