English: Mesites.
Genera: 2: Mesitornis, Monias.
Region:
Madagascar.
Habitat: forest and scrubland.
ZoologyMesitornithiformes are smallish flightless or near flightless birds. They feed on insects and seeds. The brown and white-breasted mesites forage on the ground, gleaning insects from the leaves and under them, as well as low vegetation. Mesites are vocal birds, with calls similar to passerine song, used for territorial defence. Two or three white eggs are laid in a stick-nest located in a bush or low branch.
Mesitornis species are monogamous.Monias benschi is a subdesert mesite, uses its long bill to probe in the soil. Other birds, such as drongos and flycatchers, will follow mesites to catch any insects they flush and miss. They are polygamous and unlike the other two shows significant sexual dichromatism.
FamiliesMesitornithidae