An unmistakable inhabitant of their habitat wearing midnight black with long white slashes on each wing, wine-red underparts, and a black chinstrap.

Meet the Black-and-red broadbill

Photo Courtesy of Francesco Veronesi / CC BY-SA 2.0

The black-and-red broadbill (Cymbirhynchus macrorhynchos) is a species of bird in the Eurylaimidae family. This is a large broadbill, the black-and-red broadbill has distinctive plumage and is unlikely to be mistaken for any other species within its range. The average adult is around 21–24 cm (8.3–9.4 in) in length, with wing lengths of 9.7–10.8 cm (3.8–4.3 in) and weighs 51–65 g (1.8–2.3 oz). Adults have blackheads and breastbands, greenish-black upperparts, with a maroon half-collar and bright maroon rumps and uppertail coverts. The scapulars have pure white edges, forming a white line on the closed wing. The bend of the wing has a narrow orange line. The tail is black, with variable amounts of white. The bill is dichromatic, with a bright turquoise-blue maxilla, and a yellow-orange mandible with a blue tip and edges. The irises are bright emerald green.

Photo (cropped) Courtesy of Francesco Veronesi / CC BY-SA 2.0

Juveniles have much duller plumage, with sooty brown upperparts, maroon patches on the rump and uppertail coverts, brown underparts, and wings.

They also have blackish to brownish-blue bills and bronze irises

Photo Courtesy of Jason Thompson /  CC BY 2.0

Black and red broadbills are found in Borneo, Myanmar, southern Thailand, southern Laos, southern Vietnam, peninsular Malaysia, and Sumatra in Indonesia.

Photo Courtesy of Jason_Thompson. / CC BY 2.0

These birds are found in tropical and subtropical moist lowland forests and in tropical and subtropical mangrove forests, always near water.

Photo Courtesy of Francesco Veronesi / CC BY-SA 2.0

These birds eat mostly insects, but also mollusks, crabs, and small fish.

Photo Courtesy of Jason Thompson / CC BY 2.0

Black-and-red broadbills breed from March through to June. Both 𝓈ℯ𝓍es take part in building the nest, a bulky, untidy ball hanging from the tip of a dead branch or stick about 1-2 m above the water’s surface. The female lays 2-3 eggs within, which are incubated by both parents for 21 days. The chicks are fed by both parents until fledging which takes place 17 days after hatching.

Photo Courtesy of Len Worthington / CC BY-SA 2.0

This species is reported to be uncommon to locally common over its very large breeding range. Despite this, it is still judged as of Least Concern on the IUCN list.

Photo Courtesy of Jason Thompson / CC BY 2.0