Overview
The Silver-breasted Broadbill (Serilophus lunatus) is a striking passerine bird native to the foothill evergreen forests of South and Southeast Asia. The sole living member of the genus Serilophus, this charming broadbill is celebrated for its pastel plumage, bulbous turquoise-blue bill, and pendulous woven nests.
Biology and Physical Characteristics
Adult silver-breasted broadbills display delicate ash-grey to silvery breast plumage, a warm chestnut mantle, and jet-black flight feathers accented with vivid sky-blue and white bars. Their crown features a soft brownish crest bordered by a broad black eyebrow stripe. Their large, dark eyes are ringed by bright lemon-yellow orbital skin, and their broad, swollen bill is pastel turquoise with a yellow base.
Behavior and Ecology
Often traveling in small, sociable family parties outside the breeding season, these birds forage quietly in the mid-canopy and bamboo understory, sallying forth to snatch katydids, mantises, and large insects from tree foliage. Pairs build an elaborate, pear-shaped hanging nest woven from bamboo leaves, moss, and rootlets, suspended over water or deep ravines with a disguised side entrance.
Conservation and Human Impact
Assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, the Silver-breasted Broadbill occupies an expansive geographical range across the Indomalayan realm. Forest clearance for agricultural concessions and monoculture plantations has contributed to localized declines, but substantial populations remain well-represented in national parks.
Interesting Factoid
The Silver-breasted Broadbill weaves a large, pear-shaped hanging purse nest suspended from bamboo tips with a side entrance that includes a ‘false bottom’ to confuse tree snakes and egg predators!
Last updated: October 2026