Velvet asity | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Family: | Eurylaimidae |
Genus: | Philepitta |
Species: | P. castanea |
Binomial name | |
Philepitta castanea (Müller, 1776) |
The velvet asity (Philepitta castanea) is a species of bird in the Eurylaimidae family. It is endemic to Madagascar.
Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
The male of the velvet asity (Philepitta castanea) has yellow tips to its feathers when newly molted, but these wear off, leaving the bird all black; at the same time, a green wattle grows above the eye. The female is greenish.
Velvet asities eat berries and other fruit in undergrowth, and they build hanging nests with a little roof over the entrance.