We often think of birds as being noisy animals. Birds singing outside of our windows wake many of us up. Just be glad it is not a Banded Broadbill. Some experts have considered them as being among the chattiest of birds.

 

Their songs are often the loudest of the Broadbills and happen more often. Although you will definitely hear them, they are hard to spot because they like to stay high up within tall trees. If you would like to try and find one they are a bird that is about 21-23 cm. They have a large broad bill, which means they have a flattened bill with a wide gape. They also have maroon bodies and then can have purple, yellow, and/or black feathers.

 

If you would like to try to find a Banded Broadbill, they can be found in Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand. Its habitat consists of subtropical to tropical forests. There has not been a successful population estimate, but it is estimated that that the population is declining with less than 10,000 adults. 

 

Broadbills are insectivorous. They eat insects, beetles, spiders, centipedes, and may try to eat small reptiles and amphibians. They will often fly down pick up their meal and fly back up high in the trees to eat. One of their biggest predators are humans because they are so colorful, people hunt and cage them to sell to others as pets.

 

Banded Broadbills in addition to being colorful and loud are also great builders. They build large pear-shaped nests in trees made out of twigs, leaf strips, bamboo, and grasses. You may never see their nests because they are so high up! Banded Broadbills are small, but loud and interesting all at the same time.

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Author: Michaella R

Published: 10/18

 

Sources:

“Broadbills -Eurylaiminae.” Photographs and Write-up on 7 Species of Broadbills, www.malaysianbirds.com/broadbills.htm.

“Javan Broadbill (Eurylaimus Javanicus).” HBW Alive, www.hbw.com/species/javan-broadbill-eurylaimus-javanicus.

“Javan Broadbill Eurylaimus Javanicus.” Javan Broadbill (Eurylaimus Javanicus) - BirdLife Species Factsheet, datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/javan-broadbill-eurylaimus-javanicus/text.

 

Photo Credit:

 

http://theworldmostbeautifulbirds.blogspot.com/2018/03/banded-broadbill.html