SUBSPECIES AND RANGE:
The Tylas Vanga has two subspecies:
T.e. eduardi or Eduard’s Vanga (described above) occurs in E Madagascar, from Andapa area S to Tôlanaro.
T.e. albigularis or White-throated Vanga occurs very locally in W Madagascar. This race resembles nominate, but it often has whitish ear-coverts, cheeks, chin and throat (the latter rarely black). The breast is pale or very pale pinkish-orange, but it may vary from bright orange to almost white.
HABITAT:
The Tylas Vanga of nominate race is widely distributed in the eastern primary rainforest and sometimes adjacent second growth, from sea-level to 1,800 metres of elevation.
The race “albigularis” is poorly known and has restricted range in deciduous, almost leafless dry forest, and occasionally in mangroves, from sea-level to 900 metres.
CALLS AND SONGS: SOUNDS BY XENO-CANTO
The Tylas Vanga gives a quiet “whit-whit-whit” as contact call.
The song is a characteristic series of “tu-too-whirrit” notes, a medium to high-pitched fluty phrase with variant “per perwhiryit” and some others. This series lasts 2-4 seconds and is repeated every 5-10 seconds.
The race “albigularis” utters a “whitoo-whit, whitoo-whit” with the last note upslurred, and a loud, fluty whistle.
BEHAVIOUR IN THE WILD:
The Tylas Vanga feeds on a variety of invertebrates such as Lepidoptera, Odonata, Diptera and grasshoppers, snails and spiders.
It forages in middle and upper levels of the forest, in the canopy and upper shrub layer. It gleans prey from leaves and small branches. It also hovers and often catches insects on the wing or hunts from ambush.
It can be seen alone or in pairs, and it often joins mixed-species flocks, especially with White-headed Vanga, and in the NE, with Helmet Vanga. In W, it is often associated with more varied species.
The Tylas Vanga is socially monogamous and both mates share the nesting duties.
The species is sedentary and only performs short-distance flights.
REPRODUCTION OF THIS SPECIES:
The breeding season occurs between October and January in E of the range (Ranomafana), and possibly in August/September in the W of the island.
The Tylas Vanga is monogamous and territorial, with the pair defending the territory by chasing intruders while giving alarm calls “fi fi fi”.
The cup-shaped nest is built by both adults in tree fork, about 4-7 metres above the ground. The nest is mainly made of petioles of dead leaves, but also plant fibres (Palmae and Asparagus), hold together with spider webs on the exterior of the structure. The inner cup is lined with softer materials.
During the nest-building, the male sings and gives territorial calls from regular song posts.
Some sexual displays have been observed, with the female courting the male by crouching on a branch near the nest, in a posture similar to the begging behaviour of a young, but she was silent. The male singly watches the soliciting female, before approaching her prior to copulation.
However, during the nest-building period, both male and female also perform this fluttering display at nest or on nearby branch.
The female lays 2 green-blue eggs with scattered darker spots. Both adults share the incubation (mainly done by the female) during 16 days. The chicks are mainly brooded by the female, but both parents feed them. The young leave the nest two weeks after hatching.
PROTECTION / THREATS / STATUS:
The Tylas Vanga of nominate race is fairly common in the E, while the race “albigularis” is rare and very local in the W.
The species occurs in several protected areas where it is confined to native forest.
The Tylas Vanga is not globally threatened, and currently evaluated as Least Concern.
Fr: Tylas à tête noire
Ang: Tylas Vanga
All: Bülbülvanga
Esp: Vanga Cabecinegro
Ita: Vanga tylas
Nd: Kinkimavo
Sd: tylasvanga
Mal: Kinkimavo, Mokazavona, Mokazovona, vano mainty
Illustrator:
Joseph Wolf (1820-1899)
Image origin:
Proceedings of the general meetings for scientific business of the Zoological Society of London
Texte de Nicole Bouglouan
Sources :
HANDBOOK OF THE BIRDS OF THE WORLD Vol 14 by Josep del Hoyo-Andrew Elliot-David Christie - Lynx Edicions – ISBN: 9788496553507
Wildlife of Madagascar par Ken Behrens,Keith Barnes - ISBN: 140088067X, 9781400880676 – Editeur: Princeton University Press, 2016
Birds of Madagascar: A Photographic Guide Par Pete Morris, Frank Hawkins – ISBN: 0300077556, 9780300077551- Editeur: Yale University Press, 1998
Birds of the Indian Ocean Islands Par Ian Sinclair, Olivier Langrand - ISBN: 1868729567, 9781868729562- Editeur: Struik, 2003
The Birds of Africa: Volume VIII: The Malagasy Region: Madagascar, Seychelles, Comoros, Mascarenes - Par Roger Safford, Frank Hawkins – ISBN: 1408190494, 9781408190494- Editeur: A&C Black, 2013
Birds of Madagascar and the Indian Ocean Islands Par Roger Safford, Adrian Skerrett, Frank Hawkins – ISBN: 1472924118, 9781472924117- Editeur: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2015
Breeding ecology of the Tylas Vanga Tylas eduardi in southeastern Madagascar
Creagus – Bird Families of the World – Vangas - Vanginae
THE VANGAS OF MADAGASCAR by Nick Garbutt
Vanga - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Home page
Page Order Passeriformes
Tylas Vanga
Tylas eduardi
Passeriformes Order – Vangidae Family
INTRODUCTION:
The Tylas Vanga is endemic to Madagascar where two subspecies share the range. The nominate race “eduardi” is fairly common in the eastern rainforest, whereas the race “albigularis” is rare and recorded in almost leafless dry western forest.
This species has some different morphological features compared to other Vangidae, with rather slender body and fine bill. The race “albigularis” is sometimes thought to be a separate species, with different plumage pattern and voice.
It feeds on invertebrates found in middle and upper levels of the forest, and caught by gleaning from leaves and branches. The species is socially monogamous and both adults share the nesting duties.
The Tylas Vanga is not globally threatened, although the race “albigularis” is rare and very local.
DESCRIPTION OF THE BIRD:
Biometrics:
Length: 20-21 cm
Weight: 36-54 g
The Tylas Vanga of nominate race “eduardi” has black hood, including head, nape, chin and throat. The upperparts, upperwings and uppertail are green-grey, but on the wings, the primaries are dark brown. We can see a conspicuous white collar crossing the upper breast, and slightly broken on the hindneck.
The underparts are usually tinged orange, but the breast is deeper orange. The lesser underwing-coverts are white.
The slender bill is black. The eyes are dark brown, but they can be occasionally pale. Legs and feet are dark grey to blackish.
Male and female are similar.
The juvenile resembles adult, but it has slightly paler chin, pale buffy fringes to wing feathers, yellow gape and pale orange bill base.