How do you identify a Brown Mesite?

This species is a medium-sized terrestrial bird which is often described as rail-like. Full identification notes are on this page.

How big is a Brown Mesite?

The Brown Mesite is a medium sized bird weighing about 148 g.

Where can you see a Brown Mesite?

The Brown Mesite is endemic to Madagascar, which is the only country where it occurs.

What birds look similar to a Brown Mesite?

The Brown Mesite is most easily confused with the White-breasted Mesite.

Is the Brown Mesite endangered?

The Brown Mesite is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

Brown Mesite

Mesitornis unicolor

Mesites · Mesitornithiformes · Legendary

The Brown Mesite (Mesitornis unicolor) is a legendary mesit found only in Madagascar, weighing about 148 g. The brown mesite is a ground-dwelling bird endemic to Madagascar.

VulnerableLegendaryEndemicEats invertebratesforestplatform nest148 g

Brown Mesite (Mesitornis unicolor), photo 1 — Photo: Лариса Артемьева · http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Brown Mesite (Mesitornis unicolor), photo 2 — Photo: Лариса Артемьева · http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Brown Mesite (Mesitornis unicolor), photo 3 — Photo: martin ingemansson · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Brown Mesite (Mesitornis unicolor), photo 4 — Photo: martin ingemansson · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Brown Mesite (Mesitornis unicolor), photo 5 — Photo: Marc Athanase Parfait Œillet Des Murs (1804-1878) · Public domain

Brown Mesite (Mesitornis unicolor), photo 6 — Photo: martin ingemansson · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Brown Mesite (Mesitornis unicolor), photo 7 — Photo: martin ingemansson · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Brown Mesite (Mesitornis unicolor), photo 8 — Photo: (c) Nigel Voaden, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY

Brown Mesite (Mesitornis unicolor), photo 9 — Photo: (c) martin ingemansson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY

Brown Mesite (Mesitornis unicolor), photo 10 — Photo: no rights reserved · CC0

About the Brown Mesite

The brown mesite is a ground-dwelling bird endemic to Madagascar. It is one of three species in the mesite family or the Mesitornithidae, and though classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), it is the most widespread of the three.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

How to identify it

This species is a medium-sized terrestrial bird which is often described as rail-like. The species has a plain face, marked only by a slightly contrasting fleshy eye-ring around a rather large eye and a variable white streak behind the eye. It has a short straight bill. The upperparts of the bird are rufous brown, the underside tawny with no barring or spotting.

Where it lives

Madagascar

When to see it

Best months: September, October, November, December, with peak activity in November. It is a variable species across most of its range.

Easily confused with

White-breasted MesiteMesitornis variegatus

Quick questions

How do you identify a Brown Mesite?: This species is a medium-sized terrestrial bird which is often described as rail-like. Full identification notes are on this page.
How big is a Brown Mesite?: The Brown Mesite is a medium sized bird weighing about 148 g.
Where can you see a Brown Mesite?: The Brown Mesite is endemic to Madagascar, which is the only country where it occurs.
What birds look similar to a Brown Mesite?: The Brown Mesite is most easily confused with the White-breasted Mesite.
Is the Brown Mesite endangered?: The Brown Mesite is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

Learn the Brown Mesite for real

BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.

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