A unique avian creature with a vibrant appearance, sporting a dazzling combination of yellow and olive green feathers, complemented by a strikingly fluorescent tie-dyed face and flesh-colored wattle.
Introducing the Schlegel’s asity
The Philepitta schlegeli, commonly known as Schlegel’s asity, is a kind of bird that belongs to the Philepittidae family. During their breeding season, the male species are characterized by bright yellow feathers on their upperparts and mantle, while the rest of the area is olive-green in color. Their underparts are also yellow, with a hint of olive-green on the sides, and their rump appears to be dark grey. The males have a black head with an eye-catching, featherless, vividly bright blue and green wattled area surrounding each eye. They have a black bill with an orange-yellow gape, brown eyes, and grey legs.
The appearance of the female differs from that of the male as they tend to have an olive color on top and a white to yellow-olive shade underneath. They look more like non-breeding males. Moreover, young ones have a similar appearance to the female of their species.
The bird’s natural habitat is in Madagascar and it can be found in the North, Northwest, and West regions of the country.
The Schlegel’s asity are known to prefer areas with a seasonally dry rainforest environment, especially in close proximity to humid or sheltered regions. Their preferred elevation range is around 800 meters.
This feathered creature typically consumes tiny fruits during the wet season, but it is also willing to indulge in nectar and insects when the dry season arrives.
During the months of October to December, Schlegel’s asity engages in breeding where the female constructs a spherical woven nest that hangs from a branch about 2 to 5 meters above ground level. The nest is made primarily of moss, although it may contain dead leaves and spider webs as well. Unfortunately, there isn’t much information available on the specific details of this breeding process.
This particular bird species is in danger due to human activities such as grazing and harvesting firewood, leading to a decrease in its population and being categorized as near threatened.
You can check out a video featuring this particular bird down below:
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