Comoro Blue Vanga
Cyanolanius comorensis
Beautiful blue-and-white vanga – the only member of this mainly Malagasy family that is found in the Comoros. Male is bright blue, with a blue bill; female duller blue, with faintly peach underparts, and a dark bill. Found in remnant humid forest on the Comorian islands of Mohéli and Grand Comoro. Usually found in pairs, often in mixed flocks with other bird species. Call is a rasping scold that is repeated incessantly. Colorful bird that is unmistakable within its restricted range.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Cyanolanius comorensis
- Authority
- (Shelley, 1894)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Vangidae
- Genus
- Cyanolanius
Range and habitat
The species is found on the islands of Grand Comore and Mohéli in the Comoros Islands.<p>It inhabits a variety of woodland on the Comoro Islands. It is known to inhabits habitats above an elevation of 300 m (980 ft) on Mohéli. On Grand Comore, it is mainly known from degraded forest patches with banana cultivation on the slopes of Mount Karthala at an elevation of 700–900 m (2,300–3,000 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- unknown
Photos
Distribution
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