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Animal Database
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Animal Database
Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher
141490486.BiuEkjEo.RedbelliedparadiseFlycatcher1bp
Male
Information
Common Name Black-headed Paradise Flycatcher
Range western Africa south of the Sahara Desert.
Scientific Classification
Kingdom Animalia
Class Aves
Order Passeriformes
Family Monarchidae
Genus Terpsiphone
Species Terpsiphone rufiventer
Conservation Status
LCSpecies
Least Concern

The Red-bellied paradise flycatcher (Terpsiphone rufiventer), also known as the black-headed paradise flycatcher, is a species of medium-sized paradise flycatcher in the Monarchidae family.

However, the red-bellied paradise flycatcher is a common resident breeder in tropical western Africa south of the Sahara Desert. This species is usually found in thick forests and other well-wooded habitats. Two eggs are laid in a tiny cup nest in a tree.

The adult male of this species is about 17 cm long, but the long tail streamers nearly double the birds length. It has a black head, and the rest of the plumage is chestnut, other than a prominent black wingbar. The female is duller and lacks the tail streamers. Young birds are plain brown.

The males show considerable variation in plumage in some areas. There is a morph of this species in which the male has the chestnut parts of the plumage replaced by white, and some races have black tail streamers.

The red-bellied paradise flycatcher is a noisy bird with a sharp zweetcall. It has short legs and sits very upright whilst perched prominently, like a shrike. It is insectivorous, often hunting by flycatching.

The black-bellied African paradise flycatcher (Terpsiphone viridis), is closely related to this species, and hybrids occur with the underparts a mixture of black and red.

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