Velvet Asity female, leaving its nest

The velvet asity is a species of bird in the Philepittidae family. It is endemic to Madagascar.

Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

The male of the velvet asity has yellow tips to its feathers when newly molted, but these wear off, leaving the bird all black; at the same time, a green wattle grows above the eye. The female is greenish.

Velvet asities eat berries and other fruit in undergrowth, and they build hanging nests with a.. more