#nicator

September 6, 2022 - Western Nicator (Nicator chloris)

Western Nicator by Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0 

Etymology: Conqueror

First Described By: Hartlaub & Finsch, 1870

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Neoaves, Inopinaves, Telluraves, Australaves, Eufalconimorphae, Psittacopasserae, Passeriformes, Eupasseres, Passeri, Euoscines, Passerides, Core Passerides, Sylviida, Sylvioidea, Nicatoridae

Referred Species: N. chloris (Western Nicator), N. gularis (Eastern Nicator), N. vireo (Yellow-Throated Nicator)

Status: Extant, Least Concern

Time and Place: Within the last 10,000 years, in the Holocene of the Quaternary 

Nicators are known from Western, Central, and Southeastern Africa 

By Haller1962, CC BY-SA 4.0 

Physical Description: The Nicators are a genus of very distinctive, mid-sized passerines from Africa, ranging from 16 to 23 centimeters in length. The smallest of these species is the Yellow-Throated Nicator, with the Eastern and Western species both being larger than the Yellow-Throated variety and relatively similar in size to each other. They are all fairly olive in color along their backs, with black wings; these wings are spotted yellow. They have long tails, which are also olive green, with yellow tips. Their bellies are white, and they have a variety of differently colored faces. Their bills are grey, medium-length, and thick - with noticeable hooks of the top beak over the lower beak. They also have green and yellow colored bums. 

Western NIcator and Eastern Nicator, by Henrick Grönvold, in the Public Domain 

Diet: The Nicators mainly eat arthropods, especially large butterflies, mantids, beetles, caterpillars, and even sometimes small vertebrates such as frogs and lizards, and even berries.

Behavior: Nicators feed usually alone, maybe sometimes in mated pairs but not often. These are very shy, secretive birds, foraging from the ground to the canopy and hiding among the leaves. They hop and run from branch to branch while looking for prey, sometimes even running through clumps of dry leaves. It occasionally flicks its wings while foraging, holding them open and drooped. They also fly silently in horizontal circuits around the base of a tree, while fanning its tail and flicking its wing - this may startle food in trunks into moving out to be see. The Nicators also will follow hoofed mammals to feed on insects they dredge up. They’ll explore tangled branches, and often pump their tails when excited about the prospect of food. 

Yellow-Throated Nicator by Kunstanstalt v. C. Böhm, in the Public Domain 

These birds make a wide variety of sounds, including far-carrying kwee-kuk-kuk-kuk notes, angry growls, and trilling songs; as well as loud whistling, churring notes, and “chok-chok-chok” calls. Interestingly enough, at least one species has been marked as mimicking other birds. They only sing in well-concealed perches in order to stay safe. None of these birds migrate, so they don’t have much of a migration call in addition to their variety of sounds. 

Yellow-Throated Nicator by Dubi Shapiro, all rights reserved 

Their breeding season varies throughout the year depending on the location where they live, with some populations starting in April, others February, others in December, others in June, others in April, others in August, others in May, and so on. In general, the peak of their breeding season is at the start of the rainy season. The birds are monogamous and are very territorial over their nests, which are flat and triangular. These nests are made of stout stems, leaves, even rootlets. They are usually placed low on the branches, usually not more than one meter high, in dense undergrowth. Usually about one to four eggs, on average just two are laid and incubated by the females. Both parents will feed the nestling young. The chicks hop among the branches after fledging, and stay with the parents (who will alarm them if there is danger approaching) for a little while after that.

Ecosystem: The Nicators live in dense evergreen, jungle, swamp, and semi-deciduous forests, as well as dense shrubbery among the savanna; they can be found in human-made habitats like logged forests, gardens, and plantations. Some are found along coastal forests and lowlands. None are found in particularly high-elevated areas. 

Eastern Nicator by Alan Manson, CC BY-SA 2.0 

Other: These birds are not threatened with extinction, and are very common throughout their ranges. They are even common in protected habitats, including national parks.

Species Differences: The Western Nicator lives in Western Africa, and it has an olive colored head with a yellow ring around its eye. The Eastern Nicator has a black stripe across its head, which is more taupe in color, and it lives along the eastern coast of Africa. The Yellow-Throated Nicator has a black head, with yellow stripes next to the eyes and - most distinctively - a yellow throat. This species lives in central Africa.

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources under the Cut 

Western Nicator Nicator chloris

It is best identified by its range and some of its vocalizations. It is mainly native to the African tropical rainforest.