The rufous-bellied helmetshrike or Gabon helmetshrike is a passerine bird belonging to the Vanga family, Vangidae. It inhabits tropical forest in Central Africa. It is sometimes included within the chestnut-bellied helmetshrike of West Africa.
Region
Central Africa
Typical Environment
Occurs in lowland evergreen and semi-evergreen forests of Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, southern Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, and western Democratic Republic of the Congo. It favors intact primary forest but also uses mature secondary growth, edges, and treefall gaps. Birds typically forage in the midstory to canopy, moving rapidly through foliage while maintaining contact calls. Local presence depends on forest continuity and large blocks of suitable habitat.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called the Gabon helmetshrike, this forest-dwelling passerine is part of the Vanga family (Vangidae). It forages in cohesive, vocal groups that often join mixed-species flocks in the canopy and subcanopy. It has sometimes been lumped with the West African chestnut-bellied helmetshrike but is now generally treated as distinct.
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Lives in tight-knit groups that maintain territories year-round and often participate in cooperative breeding. Frequently joins mixed-species flocks while foraging in the subcanopy and canopy. Nests are placed on horizontal branches or forks, and group members may assist with feeding young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocal repertoire includes sharp chatters, squeaky whistles, and nasal contact calls that keep the group coordinated. Excited flocks produce rapid scolding series when disturbed.
Plumage
Glossy dark upperparts with a contrasting rich rufous to chestnut belly and vent; often shows a crisp white wing patch. Short, forward-swept crest gives a helmeted look.
Diet
Primarily hunts insects such as beetles, caterpillars, grasshoppers, and spiders, occasionally taking small vertebrates like tiny lizards. Prey is gleaned from leaves and branches, probed from bark crevices, or snatched in short sallies. Groups often work methodically through a foraging route while keeping close visual and vocal contact.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in the subcanopy and canopy of mature lowland forest, along edges, and in light gaps created by treefalls. Will use adjacent secondary growth when it provides continuous cover and foraging substrates.
