AVITOPIA - Mesites

The family of Mesites is endemic to Madagascar but rare and difficult to find. The body size is 30 cm to 32 cm. Mesites have short wings, a small head and a long broad tail. The habitat of the mesites are various native forests. As diurnal terrestrial birds, they mainly feed on invertebrates, but they also eat seeds and small fruits. They make their nests at a low height in bushes or low trees. The clutches usually contain 1 to 3 eggs. Two species appear to be monogamous, one is polygamous, with different females laying in the same nest. The female is involved in the incubation, in at least one species, the male too.