Velvet Asity
Philepitta castanea
- Least concern
- Card rarity: Common
- Birds
The velvet asity is a bird species in the family Philepittidae that is endemic to Madagascar. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. Non-breeding males have yellow-tipped feathers, while breeding males have a velvety black plumage with a pair of green fleshy supraorbital caruncles above the eyes. Adult females are greenish and have underparts striped with pale yellow-green longitudinal lines. Velvet asities eat berries and other fruits in the undergrowth. They build hanging nests with a little roof over the entrance. The species is listed as “Least Concern” on the IUCN Red List.
Classification
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Philepittidae
- Genus
- Philepitta