The African Broadbill
Introduction
The African Broadbill (Smithornis capensis) is a fascinating and visually stunning bird species that can be found in various parts of Africa, including Uganda.
It is an endemic species located in a small region in the far Eastern DRC and in western Uganda.
This area consists of the Itombwe Mountains and the Impenetrable Forest of Uganda.
The green broadbill (Calyptomena viridis), also known as the lesser green broadbill, is a small bird in the broadbill family.
It is a rare species found in the Impenetrable Forest in Uganda and has been classified as both Rare and Vulnerable by different biologists.
They are threatened by forest clearance near villages, commercial logging, and mining activities.
The ones safe from these hazards are the population found in the mountains west of Lake Kivu, DRC, which is thought to be protected because it resides in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park.
Classification of the African Broadbill
Kingdom: Animalia.
Phylum: Chordata.
Class: Aves.
Order: Passeriformes.
Family: Calyptomenidae.
Genus: Smithornis
Physical Characteristics and Description
The African Green Broadbill measures just 9–10 cm in length, making it one of the smallest broadbills in Africa
Its entire body is green, with a slightly paler throat and a short, broad, flattened bill adapted for catching insects.
Its green color provides excellent camouflage. The broad bill’s feeding habits help to distribute the seeds of the fig around the forest floor.
The female usually lays between two and three whitish eggs, and the young fledge after twenty-two to twenty-three days.
The green broadbill has a mouth and jaws that are adapted to swallowing round, soft fruits and other foods.
It can be spotted alone or in small groups with up to ten members, and it sometimes joins mixed-species flocks.
In Uganda, the flight is slow most of the time. Its call is described as tsi-tsi or cree-cree and is repeated 3 to 8 times at a fast rate, usually four notes to a second.
During the breeding season, it sometimes makes a very high-pitched bell-like ringing noise
Recommended Safaris
12 Days
Private
12 Days Rwenzori Mountains Hiking and Uganda Gorilla Trekking Tour
from
$ 800
per person
Its behaviour
It tends to be a resident species. However, it commonly makes altitudinal movements as seasons change and in dry seasons it may move beyond their normal range in search of food
Although it is frequently found in pairs, it also tends to be quite gregarious and often found in small feeding flocks.
It is usually found in Groups are not normally larger than 25 individuals
What makes it so Legendary?
This bird is an insectivore, snatching flies and beetles’ mid-air with agile flycatching displays, which makes it a vital pest controller in Uganda.
The green plumage provides a great camouflage in the tops of trees. Its bill is red at the base white at the tip. The feet are also red.
It displays one of the most characteristic voices of healthy woodland and forest habitats.
It is an interesting marked with green color on its neck and normally inhabits tropical forested areas around the Albertine rift region of Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo
African Green Broadbill is more than just a beautiful bird; it is a symbol of the fragile ecosystems that define Central Africa’s montane.
This giant bird stands over 1.5 metres tall with an enormous shoe-shaped bill used to catch lungfish and other prey in papyrus swamps.
What does it feed on?
Most species are gregarious. Some species eat primarily insects while others mainly eat fruit.
Most broadbills are insectivores. They catch insects while flying, glean them from vegetation or dart out from perches in a manner similar to flycatchers.
They are opportunistic feeders, and commonly eat grasshoppers, beetles, wasps, bees and ants
Sometimes they will also eat millipedes, spiders, snails, crabs, tree frogs, lizards and fish.
Three broadbill species are frugivores and their bill structure reflects the dietary differences. The frugivorous species lack the wide bill of the insectivores, but maintain the wide gape.
Because of this modification they are not able to easily manipulate the fruit with their bills and so they are forced to eat relatively soft fruits and/or to swallow the fruit whole.
They also feed largely on soft figs
Figs are an important food source for fruit-eating broadbills. Frugivores will often catch insects to feed their young during the breeding season.
The African Broadbill Gallery
Its Habitat/where is it found?
African Green Broad bill mostly inhabits tropical primary forest, forest edges, and forests that are dominated by bamboo.
It flies at all heights, but seem to prefer the upper branches of fairly tall trees safe from these hazards of the population.
A Broad bill seems to be territorial during the breeding season and its display flights may serve as both breeding and territorial displays.
It may also defend small patches of fruit for sometime
Its Reproduction
It is thought to have long breeding seasons.
It has been found to nest 11 meters up in 20-meter-tall trees in the outer most branches. it usually makes nests out of a Spanish-moss-like green lichen, and its nests are usually 20 to 25 centimeters in diameter with a 5-centimeter-wide entrance.
Besides this information, little else is known about the reproduction of this bird
How does the African Green Broad bill communicate?
This bird mostly communicates early in the morning and late afternoon. It also communicates by a means by different means of a variety of territorial and mating displays
Some of them perform spinning displays that include wing flapping, head bobbing and feather flutting
Most times, the calls are used when in courtship, as alarm signals and for contact between the mates.
It also communicates more frequently when in groups
What threatens this bird?
This bird is a luminous green bird with an umbrella-like head shape found in the lowland areas of the Forests
The male is seen guarding the nest, it always signal danger with a high-pitched call
This birds’ main threat is habitat loss as the lowland rain forests are rapidly disappearing
Another threat is the forest fires that usually burn its nest and habitat making them to migrate
The development and the growth of the young ones is mainly done by the males because the males are the provider
Recommended Safaris
12 Days
Private
12 Days Rwenzori Mountains Hiking and Uganda Gorilla Trekking Tour
from
$ 800
per personWhat is the best time to spot this bird?
This bird is restricted to the eastern part of Bwindi impenetrable forest in a place knows as Mubwindi swamp.
The eastern part of the forest is also popular for gorilla tracking. The best time of seeing the broad bill is usually during the breeding season which starts from late May to early October.
Visit during wet seasons (March–May, October–November) when insect activity draws Albertine Rift broad bills into the open.
The ideal birding season in Uganda runs from November to April, which coincides with the arrival of Palearctic and intra-African migratory birds that increase the numbers of birds in the area so high chances of spotting it
Conclusively, this is a e very elusive bird, very beautiful in nature. It signals the true definition of a bird in Uganda.
The facts about it are very distinguishable making it one of the most interesting birds to watch from Uganda and its neighbors
Browse other sightings
Griffin Falls
Moroto town
JINJA-the source of the Nile
The Great Rift Valley
Igongo Cultural centre
Hot springs and Geysers
Lake Edward
Mabira Forest
Pian Upe Game reserve
kororo falls
Karamoja Apalis
Ssese islands
Don’t wait,
book this adventure safari today
Low season
Oct, Nov, Mar, Apr, may
Peak season
Jun, July, Aug, Sept, Dec
Got any questions
about traveling to Uganda?
Get in touch.
