Common Scimitarbill
Rhinopomastus cyanomelas
The Common Scimitarbill (Rhinopomastus cyanomelas) is a uncommon wood hoopoes and scimitarbill found in 16 countries, weighing about 27 g. The common scimitarbill is a species of bird in the family Phoeniculidae.
About the Common Scimitarbill
The common scimitarbill is a species of bird in the family Phoeniculidae. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
Adults weigh roughly 35 grams and 26 cm in length. As adults, their beaks are black but as juveniles, their beaks are grey. Females and juveniles are more brown on the front of their body. They feed almost entirely on insects behind the bark of a tree, which is the reason for their probing beak.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Somalia.
When to see it
The Common Scimitarbill can be seen all year round, with peak activity in November. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Common Scimitarbill?
- Adults weigh roughly 35 grams and 26 cm in length. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Common Scimitarbill?
- The Common Scimitarbill is a small sized bird weighing about 27 g.
- Where can you see a Common Scimitarbill?
- The Common Scimitarbill occurs in 16 countries, including South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Kenya.
- What birds look similar to a Common Scimitarbill?
- The Common Scimitarbill is most easily confused with the Abyssinian Scimitarbill and the Black Scimitarbill.
- Is the Common Scimitarbill endangered?
- The Common Scimitarbill is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Common Scimitarbill for real
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