Green Broadbill
Encyclopedia
The Green Broadbill, Calyptomena viridis, is a small, approximately 17 cm long, brilliant green-plumaged bird with a black ear patch, wide gape bill, rounded head, short tail and three black bars on wings. The beak
itself is very weak and almost hidden by the crest above it. Both sexes are similar. The female is duller and has no black markings on its ear patch and wing coverts
.
The Green Broadbill is distributed in broadleaved evergreen forests of Borneo
, Sumatra
and Malay Peninsula
and it frequents lowland and lower montane
rainforest. It is often overlooked, as it sits motionless inside the canopy or just below, quickly flying to a new location if disturbed. It's foliage-green color provides excellent camouflage.
It feeds largely on soft fig
s. The broadbill's feeding habits helps to distribute the seeds of the fig around the forest floor. The female usually lays between two to three whitish eggs, and the young fledge after twenty-two to twenty-three days.
Due to continuing habitat loss, the Green Broadbill is evaluated as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List
of Threatened Species.
Bird anatomy
Bird anatomy, or the physiological structure of birds' bodies, shows many unique adaptations, mostly aiding flight. Birds have a light skeletal system and light but powerful musculature which, along with circulatory and respiratory systems capable of very high metabolic rates and oxygen supply,...
itself is very weak and almost hidden by the crest above it. Both sexes are similar. The female is duller and has no black markings on its ear patch and wing coverts
Bird anatomy
Bird anatomy, or the physiological structure of birds' bodies, shows many unique adaptations, mostly aiding flight. Birds have a light skeletal system and light but powerful musculature which, along with circulatory and respiratory systems capable of very high metabolic rates and oxygen supply,...
.
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
, Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
and Malay Peninsula
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...
and it frequents lowland and lower montane
Montane
In biogeography, montane is the highland area located below the subalpine zone. Montane regions generally have cooler temperatures and often have higher rainfall than the adjacent lowland regions, and are frequently home to distinct communities of plants and animals.The term "montane" means "of the...
rainforest. It is often overlooked, as it sits motionless inside the canopy or just below, quickly flying to a new location if disturbed. It's foliage-green color provides excellent camouflage.
It feeds largely on soft fig
Ficus
Ficus is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes, and hemiepiphyte in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending into the semi-warm temperate zone. The Common Fig Ficus is a genus of...
s. The broadbill's feeding habits helps to distribute the seeds of the fig around the forest floor. The female usually lays between two to three whitish eggs, and the young fledge after twenty-two to twenty-three days.
Due to continuing habitat loss, the Green Broadbill is evaluated as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
of Threatened Species.