Crested Malimbe Malimbus malimbicus Scientific name definitions

17 cm; 30–40 g. Male nominate race has red crown with long crest of spiky feathers, red extending over ear-­coverts and cheek to chin (except for black strip between flanges of lower mandible), throat and upper breast; black lores and area around eye, narrow band of velvety black behind nape and around breast patch; upperparts , including upperwing and tail, also underparts from belly downwards dull charcoal-black; iris dark brown to brownish-red; bill and legs black. Female is rather similar to male, but lacks spiky crest, and has smaller scarlet area on breast and narrower band of velvet black. Juvenile initially has forehead black, crown, nape and ear-coverts dull maroon, lacks crest, no red areas on breast, has throat black mixed with red, upperparts and underparts dull charcoal-black, iris brown, bill brown, legs dark brown; during intermediate stages before adult plumage, mixture of red and black feathers on crown and chest, and underparts may be dark olive-brown. Race <em>nigrifrons</em> has glossy black underparts , a relatively small bill and a short crest; <em>crassirostris</em> is heavier-billed than nominate, with a crimson crest and a larger black face mask.

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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.

On basis of observations, and stomach contents of 20 specimens, diet includes arthropods such as spiders (Araneae), grasshoppers (Orthoptera), beetles (Coleoptera), cicadas (Cicadidae), caterpillars (Lepidoptera) and insect eggs, also fruit of oil palm. Forages from canopy and middle levels down to taller undergrowth at heights of 5–25 m in Congo Basin, but rarely above lower canopy levels in Nigeria. Gleans on tree trunks and branches, also on flowers; makes sallies after aerial insects. Mainly in pairs in understorey or middle stratum (3–20 m) of Congo forest, singly or in pairs in Nigeria, in groups of 3–4 individuals in E Congo Basin. Regular participant in mixed-species flocks in Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Cameroon and C DRCongo, flocks including bulbuls (Pycnonotidae), Old World flycatchers (Muscicapidae), thrushes (Turdidae), sunbirds (Nectariniidae), other weavers (M. nitens and M. scutatus in Sierra Leone and Ghana), and woodpeckers (Picidae); not found in mixed flocks in Gabon.

Song  has been described as a varied mixture of twitters and sizzling; reported as singing one theme for 2–3 seconds, then switching to another, one recorded song lasting for 37 seconds. Contact call is a harsh "scree scree scree".

Breeds in Apr in Guinea, Sept–Nov in Liberia, Apr–May and Sept in Ivory Coast, Feb in Nigeria, Aug–Nov in Cameroon, Nov–Mar in Gabon, Mar in Central African Republic, Oct–Mar in Angola, and Jan, Apr and May in Uganda; in DRCongo, Apr–Jun in C, Dec–May in Kivu and Oct–Dec in E. Monogamous. Solitary nester, but several nests built by same pair can be found at a site. Male courtship includes pursuit of female, song stretches and nest-invitation displays; female may respond with quieter version of song. Male starts to build nest, female then participates in construction, and nest can be completed in a single day; one pair seen to work on three nests simultaneously; nest retort-shaped, with short entrance tunnel usually less than 10 cm long, crudely woven from fibres 2–3 mm in diameter, including strips of palm leaf, leaf petioles and vine fragments, with roofing of two layers (despite rough appearance, sheds water effectively even after torrential rain), suspended from palm or attached to spiny climbing palm, 5–22 m above ground in Liberia, 4–10 m up in Gabon. Clutch 1–2 eggs, white or greenish, with spots of ochre, grey and brown, mean size of four eggs 22·8 x 15·8 mm; incubation by female only; no information on incubation and nestling periods. One record of parasitism by Diederik Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx caprius).