Broadbill

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iBroadbills

Image:Lightmatter Long-tailed broadbill.jpg

Psarisomus dalhousiae

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Eurylaimidae

Genera

The broadbills are a family of small passerine bird species found in tropical southeast Asia, with a few species in Africa.

Broadbills are brightly coloured birds that feed on fruit and also take insects in flycatcher fashion, snapping their broad bills. Their habitat is canopies of wet forests, so despite their colours, they are difficult to observe.

Their nest is a purse-shaped structure built in a tree, into which typically 2–3 eggs are laid.

The Smithornis and Pseudocalyptomena species occur in tropical Africa; the rest extend from the eastern Himalayas to Sumatra and Borneo.

The Sapayoa was originally classified in the group Pipridae, according to Sapayoa aenigma: a New World representative of 'Old World suboscines' the genus more accurately fits the broadbill family.

In addition to the Sapayoa, which if included would be in its own subfamily, there are four other subfamilies of broadbill:

The typical African broadbills, Smithornithinae (containing three species in a single genus, Smithornis)
The Asian green broadbills, Calyptomeninae (containing three species in a single genus, Calyptomena)
Grauer's Broadbill, Pseudocalyptomeninae
The typical Asian broadbills, Eurylaiminae (the remaining five genera, containing eight species)