Mystery bird: Madagascar blue vanga, Cyanolanius madagascarinus

This striking mystery bird is unique amongst its family because it is the only one NOT endemic to Madagascar (includes audio)

Madagascar blue vanga, Cyanolanius madagascarinus (protonym, Loxia madagascarina), Linnaeus, 1766, photographed at Zombitse National Park, Atsimo-Andrefana region, Madagascar.

Image: Nick Athanas/Tropical Birding, 10 November 2010 (with permission) [velociraptorize].
Canon EOS 7D.

Question: After yesterday's mystery bird (which remains a mystery to all of us, apparently!), I've got blue plumage colour on my mind once again, so of course, I can't resist sharing this beauty with you. This Madagascan mystery bird is part of a small taxonomic family we've not seen here before. This species is unique amongst its family members. Can you tell me why? Can you identify this bird's taxonomic family and species?

Response: This is an adult male Madagascar blue vanga, Cyanolanius madagascarinus. This bird is a member of a small shrike-like family, Vangidae. Although we do know that the vangas are songbirds, we're not sure about the specifics of their relationships with other passerines, and indeed, in some cases, we're not entirely sure which birds are vangas.

In general, vangas are small- to medium-sized birds and they have strong similarities in their skull shape and bony palate structure. However, the vangas are quite variable and, having evolved from a single founding population, they are a lovely example of adaptive radiation. The vangas diversified to occupy the various niches on Madagascar that are typically occupied by other bird families in other parts of the world. For example, some vangids resemble shrikes whilst others look a lot like babblers or flycatchers. Further, some studies indicate that several Old World babbler and flycatcher species on Madagascar are actually vangas [doi:10.1006/mpev.1999.0684 & doi:10.1111/j.0014-3820.2001.tb00639.x].

Madagascar blue vangas are unique amongst their relatives (as we currently know this family) because they are the only vanga that is not a Madagascar endemic; a population is also found on the Comoro Islands. Also, unlike their relatives, which have black, brown or grey upperparts, the blue vanga is, well, blue on top. Blue vangas are also distinct from all but one of their relatives because they occasionally supplement their carnivorous diet with fruit.

The blue vanga is fairly common and widespread in woodlands on Madagascar and on the Comoros islands and Mayotte.

Embedded below is a 1 minute recording of a pair of blue vangas responding to playback, courtesy of Xeno-Canto:

(recorded on 25 November 2010 by Nick Athanas at Mananara Lodge, Anjozorobe, Madagascar [audio link]).

Oh, and speaking of relationships; I admit I am very curious to know why Linnaeus originally placed this species into the genus Loxia (the crossbills). Does anyone know what his reasoning was?




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