Velvet Asity
Philepitta castanea
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyPhilepittidae (Asities)
- GenusPhilepitta (Typical Asities)
- SpeciesPhilepitta castanea (Velvet Asity)
About the Velvet Asity
The velvet asity (Philepitta castanea) is a bird species in the family Philepittidae that is endemic to Madagascar. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. Non-breeding males have yellow-tipped feathers, while breeding males have a velvety black plumage with a pair of green fleshy supraorbital caruncles above the eyes. Adult females are greenish and have underparts striped with pale yellow-green longitudinal lines. Velvet asities eat berries and other fruits in the undergrowth. They build hanging nests with a little roof over the entrance. The species is listed as “Least Concern” on the IUCN Red List.
The velvet asity is a member of a monophyletic group within the order Passeriformes and the family Philepittidae. Philepittidae was originally considered a distinct and isolated family within the suboscine passerines. However, phylogenetic analysis revealed that asities were closely related to the Old World broadbills (family Eurylaimidae).
Within Philepittidae, two genera are currently recognized: Philepitta and Neodrepanis. Philepitta and Neodrepanis comprise four species of asities, all of which are endemic to Madagascar. The genus Philepitta... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Velvet Asity in Ranomafana National Park
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Sunbird Asity
Neodrepanis coruscans
Yellow-bellied Asity
Neodrepanis hypoxantha
Madagascar Bulbul
Hypsipetes madagascariensis
Souimanga Sunbird
Cinnyris sovimanga
Madagascar White-eye
Zosterops maderaspatanus
Tylas Vanga
Tylas eduardi
Madagascar Paradise-Flycatcher
Terpsiphone mutata
Madagascar Magpie-Robin
Copsychus albospecularis
Malagasy Brush Warbler
Nesillas typica
Red-tailed Vanga
Calicalicus madagascariensis
Crested Drongo
Dicrurus forficatus
Common Newtonia
Newtonia brunneicauda
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ranomafana National Park | 🇲🇬 Madagascar |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Velvet Asity in Ranomafana National Park?
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Velvet Asity sighting in Ranomafana National Park, based on 461 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Velvet Asity in Ranomafana National Park?
September has the highest sighting rate for Velvet Asity in Ranomafana National Park in our monthly data.