African Broadbill (Smithornis capensis)
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African Broadbill

Smithornis capensis (Smith, A, 1839)

12–14 cmLength23 gWeight

The African broadbill (Smithornis capensis), also known as the black-capped broadbill or Delacour's broadbill, is a species of bird in the suboscine family Calyptomenidae.

Busiest months: July and October–November · Most records: Uganda, Kenya, South Africa

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

African Broadbill has been recorded at 82 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 15 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Bwindi-Impenetrable Forest NP – BuhomaUganda137 records
  2. Kakamega Forest NRKenya133 records
  3. Bwindi-Impenetrable Forest NP – Waterfall WalkUganda89 records
More places
  1. Mkhuze GRSouth Africa84 records
  2. East Usambara Mountains – Amani Nature ReserveTanzania82 records
  3. Bwindi-Impenetrable Forest NP – Buhoma TrackUganda82 records
  4. Kakamega Forest NR – Rondo Retreat CentreKenya81 records
  5. Coutada 12Mozambique56 records
  6. Bwindi-Impenetrable Forest NP – Entrance RoadUganda54 records
  7. Kumbira Forest ReserveAngola47 records

Countries and regions with the most records

UgandaKenyaSouth AfricaZambiaTanzaniaZimbabweMozambiqueAngola

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The African broadbill (Smithornis capensis), also known as the black-capped broadbill or Delacour's broadbill, is a species of bird in the suboscine family Calyptomenidae.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the African Broadbill?

The African Broadbill is about 12–14 cm long and weighs around 23 g.

Where does the African Broadbill live?

Its breeding range: Africa: widespread. It is most often recorded in Uganda, Kenya and South Africa.

When is the best time to see the African Broadbill?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in July, October and November (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the African Broadbill endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the African Broadbill as Least Concern.

What does the African Broadbill eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the African Broadbill in?

It belongs to the family African & Green Broadbills (Calyptomenidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length
12–14 cm
Weight
23 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
70 mm
Tail
51 mm
Bill
16 mm
Tarsus
16 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: widespread

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
African & Green Broadbills Calyptomenidae
Genus
Smithornis

Other birds in the genus Smithornis

Grey-headed BroadbillGrey-headed BroadbillSmithornis sharpeiRufous-sided BroadbillRufous-sided BroadbillSmithornis rufolateralisGreen BroadbillGreen BroadbillCalyptomena viridisHose's BroadbillHose's BroadbillCalyptomena hosiiWhitehead's BroadbillWhitehead's BroadbillCalyptomena whiteheadi
African Broadbill

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Dave Curtis. ↗

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