Chestnut-breasted Nigrita Nigrita bicolor Scientific name definitions

11–12 cm; 8·6-11·7 g (nominate). Male nominate race has hindcrown and upperparts, including upperwing and tail, dark slaty grey, forehead, side of head, throat and underparts dark reddish-chestnut; iris red to reddish brown, orbital ring greyish; short deep-based bill black; legs dark grey-brown. Female is like male, but underparts a little paler chestnut. Juvenile is grey-brown above, cheek and throat buffy grey, underparts cinnamon buff, brightest on undertail-coverts. Race brunnescens is duller than nominate, upper­parts slaty brown; saturatior is very like previous, but underparts darker and more richly coloured.

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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.

Insects, including caterpillars and winged termites (Isoptera); oily husks and fruit pulp of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis), and figs (Ficus); also seeds and nectar, and egg masses of tree frogs. In lowland forest forages near ground, along creeks, also in canopy. Gleans twigs and flowers for insects and nectar, takes seeds from ground; tears open egg masses of tree frogs and consumes eggs. Forages singly or in pairs or small groups; often with N. canicapillus in canopy, and joins mixed-species flocks. In dry season, individuals concentrate around oil palm fruits, where they maintain distance and rank in access to fruit clusters.

Song  a wide variety of loud mellow musical whistles, sometimes with chattering notes; in Liberia, dialectal difference between songs on coast and those in interior. Transcriptions of call  include ringing "chi-chi-hooeee" and onomatopoeic "kitty come here".