The Northern Black Flycatcher (Melaenornis edolioides) is a small passerine bird in the flycatcher family, Muscicapidae.
Range This is an insectivorous species which is a resident breeder in tropical Africa from Senegal to Ethiopia and south to Zaire and Tanzania.
Habitat The northern black flycatcher is found in moist wooded areas and cultivation. It nests in a hole or reuses the old nest of another species, and lays two or three eggs. Breeding takes place in the wet season.
Range map from www.oiseaux.net - Ornithological Portal Oiseaux.net
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DescriptionThe northern black flycatcher is 20 centimetres long. It is a large upright long-tailed flycatcher. The adult is uniformly black. Juveniles are blackish-brown with buff scaling.
The long square-ended tail helps to distinguish this species from two other all-black insectivores, the fork-tailed drongo and the shorter-tailed and red-eyed common square-tailed drongo.
Song This flycatcher has a simple musical song and a thin tsee-whee call.
Length: 20 cm
Wingspan:
Weight: 28 - 36 g
Longevity:
Distinctive Feature
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Similar Species
• Southern Black-Flycatcher is very similar but lacks the graduated tail (except if in moult).