Velvet Asity
Philepitta castanea
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyPhilepittidae (Asities)
- GenusPhilepitta (Typical Asities)
- SpeciesPhilepitta castanea (Velvet Asity)
The velvet asity (Philepitta castanea) is a bird species in the family Philepittidae that is endemic to Madagascar. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. Non-breeding males have yellow-tipped feathers, while breeding males have a velvety black plumage with a pair of green fleshy supraorbital caruncles above the eyes. Adult females are greenish and have underparts striped with pale yellow-green longitudinal lines. Velvet asities eat berries and other fruits in the undergrowth. They build hanging nests with a little roof over the entrance. Wikipedia →
50–60% of wildlife watchers report a Velvet Asity sighting in Ranomafana National Park, based on 378 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Ranomafana National Park
Sunbird Asity
Neodrepanis coruscans
Yellow-bellied Asity
Neodrepanis hypoxantha
Madagascar Bulbul
Hypsipetes madagascariensis
Souimanga Sunbird
Cinnyris sovimanga
Madagascar White-eye
Zosterops maderaspatanus
Tylas Vanga
Tylas eduardi
Madagascar Paradise-Flycatcher
Terpsiphone mutata
Madagascar Magpie-Robin
Copsychus albospecularis
Malagasy Brush Warbler
Nesillas typica
Red-tailed Vanga
Calicalicus madagascariensis
Crested Drongo
Dicrurus forficatus
Common Newtonia
Newtonia brunneicauda
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ranomafana National Park | 🇲🇬 Madagascar |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Velvet Asity in Ranomafana National Park?
About 55% of wildlife watchers report a Velvet Asity sighting in Ranomafana National Park, based on 378 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Velvet Asity in Ranomafana National Park?
September has the highest sighting rate for Velvet Asity in Ranomafana National Park in our monthly data.