Philepittidae Asities

All males of these endemics to Madagascar’s forests share intense iridescent blue or green facial wattles. Two asity species have bills that are short but not particularly broad, and the other two (the sunbird-asities) have decurved bills recalling those of their namesakes. Not much is known of the breeding biology of this family, but the only species studied at all well appears to have a lek-polygynous mating system. Asities make a pendulous nest very similar to those of their broadbill cousins, but, distinctive among birds, they punch the entrance through the side wall of the nest after it is constructed rather than weaving in the entrance as the nest is built.