Bird Guide

Madagascar Blue Vanga

Cyanolanius madagascarinus

Near ThreatenedInvertebratesForestCup nestSmall · 22 g

About the Madagascar Blue Vanga

The Madagascar blue vanga is a bird species in the family Vangidae. It is found in Madagascar, where its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest.

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

ID tip

The blue vanga is 16–19 cm (6.3–7.5 in) long and weighs 19.5–25.5 g (0.69–0.90 oz). Adult males are bright blue in color, with a black line through the eye which extends to base of the bill, as well as above and below the bill. It has a paler blue eye-ring. The tail as well as edges and tips of the wings are black in colour. The underparts and throat are bright white in colour. Females tend to be slightly duller in colour than males, with the underparts also being off-white in colour with a pale orange or light buffy wash. The wings are slightly tinged greenish. Voice: Calls are described as a very characteristic tcccch, which is sometimes repeated to form a chrr-crrk-crrk-crrrrk-crk-crk, similar to the chabert vanga's call. The song can be faster or slower, and the first note is usually of a higher pitch. They also make a teea teea teea or a harsh scheet, which is thought to be an alarm call.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where the Madagascar Blue Vanga lives

Regular rangeRare visitor

Recorded as a rare visitor in Moldova.

When to see the Madagascar Blue Vanga

Peak activity in November · a variable species across most of its range

Easily confused with

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