Chabert Vanga Leptopterus chabert Scientific name definitions

14 cm; 17·6–26·7 g. A small vanga with prominent, broad blue eyering . Nominate race has forehead, crown, lores, ear-coverts, nape and entire upperparts, including upperwing and tail, black with glossy blue sheen; chin, throat, side of neck and underparts white; iris dark red, fleshy eyering sky-blue above and ultramarine below; bill pale blue; legs blackish. Sexes similar. Juvenile is similar to adult, but lacks blue eyering, has white shaft streaks and tips on black head feathers (making head look pale, with just a dark line through eye), and white fringes on back and wing feathers; fringes gradually lost, on older juvenile reduced to white edges on upperwing-coverts. Race <em>schistocercus</em> differs from nominate in having outer tail feathers white for two-thirds of length, with tips black.

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

All native forest types, also secondary regrowth, scrubby vegetation and plantations, sometimes far from native forest; also wooded outskirts of villages. Sea-level to 1000 m, occasionally at higher levels.

Probably sedentary.

Invertebrates, including beetles (Coleoptera), cockroaches (Blattodea), other insects, worms (Oligochaeta); also small vertebrates, e.g. chameleons (Chamaeleonidae); also small berries. Forages mainly in canopy, where hangs upside-down from outer twigs; frequently feeds aerially in or above canopy. Techniques used are gleaning, sally-gleaning, hover-gleaning and aerial hawking. In one study, at least 50% of observed foraging actions were gleans and 20% involved hovering and hawking. Makes long swoops in air in pursuit of flying insects; skilled aerial sally-feeder, rather reminiscent of a woodswallow (Artamidae). Forages in small groups, occasionally in larger parties of up to c. 30 individuals; sometimes in mixed-species flocks, and then usually employs sally-gleaning as main capture technique.

Call  a characteristic mechanical note, rhythmically repeated at 2–3 per second, "tch-tch-tch-tch", often by several individuals together; often the first indication of a group flying overhead. Also series of "teedee" notes. Clacks bill when irritated.

Recorded in Aug–Mar; season Sept–Jan in NW (Ampijoroa). Co-operative breeder, with one or more helpers, sex of which unknown. Cup-shaped nest made from plant fibres and twigs, woven into basket shape, bound together with spider webs  , usually anchored to horizontal branch 6–19 m above ground in tree. Clutch 3–4 eggs, dull bluish-green with small violet-grey to olive-brown specks; incubation of eggs and brooding and feeding of chicks  by both parents, chicks fed also by helpers; no information on duration of incubation and nestling periods.

Not globally threatened. Widespread, and common or fairly common throughout range. Nominate race common in all forest types, somewhat less abundant in evergreen humid forest in E; probably most numerous at edges of primary forest in W of range. Race schistocercus restricted to subdesert in SW, where fairly common.