Red-tailed vanga

Calicalicus madagascariensis

Photo by Dubi Shapiro (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
red-tailed vanga (en); vanga-de-cauda-ruiva (pt); calicalic malgache (fr); vanga colirrojo (es); rotschwanzvanga (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Vangidae

Range:
This species is endemic to Madagascar, being found in the north of the country and along the eastern and western coasts.

Size:
These birds are 13,5-14 cm long and weigh 14-18 g.

Habitat:
The red-tailed vanga is found in both dry and moist tropical forests, also using dry scrublands and second growths.

Diet:
They feed on insects and other arthropods, namely spiders, beetles, crickets, cockroaches, butterflies, bees, mantids, dragonflies, millipedes, and caterpillars and other larvae.

Breeding:
Red-tailed vangas nest in a cup made of lichens, moss, woven plant fibres and spider cocoons. It is lined with twigs and soft materials and placed in a fork in a tree. Both male and female help build the nest. The female lays 2 greenish-blue eggs with reddish brown spots, which are incubated by both parents for about 23 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge about 15 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is described as common. There is no information regarding population trends, but the red-tailed vanga is not threatened at present.