Black Scimitarbill (Rhinopomastus aterrimus)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Black Scimitarbill

Rhinopomastus aterrimus (Stephens, 1826)

27 gWeight

Busiest months: February and November–December · Most records: Ghana, Ethiopia, Gambia

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: February and November–December · Most records: Ghana, Ethiopia, Gambia

Black Scimitarbill has been recorded at 87 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 16 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Mole NPGhana106 records
  2. Shai Hills Resource ReserveGhana87 records
  3. Hara Langano LodgeEthiopia79 records
More places
  1. Mole NP – Samole Loop & waterholeGhana64 records
  2. Shai Hills RR – Kandra RouteGhana50 records
  3. Mole NP – Asibey Loop/Haraba track vicinityGhana43 records
  4. Murchison Falls NP – North sideUganda42 records
  5. Amurum Forest ReserveNigeria41 records
  6. Mole NP – Samole loopGhana40 records
  7. Mole NP – Mole Hotel & waterholeGhana38 records

Countries and regions with the most records

GhanaEthiopiaGambiaUgandaCameroonSenegalNigeriaChad

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

Questions

How big is the Black Scimitarbill?

The Black Scimitarbill weighs around 27 g.

Where does the Black Scimitarbill live?

Its breeding range: Africa: eastern, central, western, southwestern. It is most often recorded in Ghana, Ethiopia and Gambia.

When is the best time to see the Black Scimitarbill?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in February, November and December (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Black Scimitarbill endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Black Scimitarbill as Least Concern.

What does the Black Scimitarbill eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Black Scimitarbill in?

It belongs to the family Wood Hoopoes (Phoeniculidae), order Bucerotiformes.

At a glance

Weight
27 g
Habitat
Woodland
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
98 mm
Tail
111 mm
Bill
32 mm
Tarsus
19 mm

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

Range

Africa: eastern, central, western, southwestern

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Wood Hoopoes Phoeniculidae
Genus
Rhinopomastus

Other birds in the genus Rhinopomastus

Common ScimitarbillCommon ScimitarbillRhinopomastus cyanomelasAbyssinian ScimitarbillAbyssinian ScimitarbillRhinopomastus minorForest Wood HoopoeForest Wood HoopoePhoeniculus castaneicepsWhite-headed Wood HoopoeWhite-headed Wood HoopoePhoeniculus bolleiGreen Wood HoopoeGreen Wood HoopoePhoeniculus purpureusBlack-billed Wood HoopoeBlack-billed Wood HoopoePhoeniculus somaliensisViolet Wood HoopoeViolet Wood HoopoePhoeniculus damarensis
Black Scimitarbill

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

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