Animalia Life

Neodrepanis coruscans
SUBFAMILY
Neodrepanidinae
TAXONOMY
Neodrepanis coruscans Sharpe, 1875, Madagascar.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
French: Philйpitte faux-souimanga caronculй German: Langschnabel-Nektarjala; Spanish: Asitis Caranculado.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
3.7–4.1 in (9.5–10.5 cm); 0.2–0.3 oz (6.2–6.6 g). Small bird with long, decurved bill. Male: blue-brown upperparts, dull yellow underparts with brown streaks on breast, blue caruncle around eye. Female: brown upperparts, light brown head, dull underparts with yellow on flanks and under tail.
DISTRIBUTION
Eastern Madagascar.
HABITAT
Understory, lower levels of canopy, and occasionally in the canopy of rainforest and in secondary forest from sea level up to 4,000 ft (1,200 m).
BEHAVIOR
Forage alone in or pairs, actively moving through the understory to visit flowers; sometimes feed in association with other nectarivorous birds, such as white-eyes and sunbirds.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Primarily nectarivorous; observed feeding at a variety of flowers including Balanophoraceae, Balsaminaceae, Loranthaceae, Rubiaceae, Clusiaceae, Melastomataceae, and Zingiberaceae. Also eats insects and spiders, often searching in moss or on branches for these invertebrates.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Poorly known. Breeds August–December. Pendulant nest of moss, leaves, and twigs is hung from a low branch. One nest contained two pale green eggs. Only female has been observed incubating and feeding young.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not threatened, and common in suitable habitat. However, loss of rainforest habitat may threaten its long-term survival.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
None known.

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