Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...

Yellow-breasted Boatbill

Machaerirhynchus flaviventer

The Yellow-breasted Boatbill, Machaerirhynchus flaviventer, is a diminutive bird, with a length ranging from 11 to 12.5 cm and an average weight of 9-10 grams. Its most striking feature is the large, boat-shaped bill, black in color, wide, long, and flat, with a hooked tip. The bird's underparts are a vivid yellow, extending up to its breast, while the throat area is white. A yellow stripe adorns the forehead, resembling eyebrows. Males display a black upper side, while females are a lighter olive hue. Both sexes have white wing bars and a long black tail that is often held erect.

Identification Tips

To identify the Yellow-breasted Boatbill, look for the bright yellow breast, the distinctive boat-shaped bill, and the white wing bars. The male's black upper side contrasts with the female's olive coloration. The bird's large round eyes and hooked bill tip are also key identification features.

Habitat

This species thrives in subtropical or tropical moist forests, showing no particular preference for altitude. It is often found high in the canopy, safe from predators, and descends only to forage.

Distribution

The Yellow-breasted Boatbill is found across New Guinea and extends into Far North Queensland, Australia. It is not endemic to any specific country or island and has a broad distribution, with higher densities in the rainforests of North Queensland.

Behaviour

The Yellow-breasted Boatbill is known to be reclusive, often living in pairs and displaying a strong partnership in raising their young. The average clutch size is two eggs. Males are primarily responsible for nest building, which occurs high above the ground. The nests are somewhat flimsy but serve their purpose well. Parents exhibit diligent care when exchanging nesting duties, ensuring their eggs are exposed for the briefest moments.

Song & Calls

The mating call of the Yellow-breasted Boatbill is a harmonious song composed of chirps, tweets, cheeps, and trills, which is used to communicate between mates and during the nesting period.

Diet and Feeding

The bird's unique bill shape is an adaptation for hunting airborne insects. It also forages for earthworms and other insects on the forest floor, especially after rainfall, and near riverbanks beneath foliage.

Conservation Status

The IUCN Red List classifies the Yellow-breasted Boatbill as Least Concern. Its wide range and stable population size do not warrant immediate conservation action. However, it is sensitive to the effects of climate change, which could impact its habitat in the future. Protected areas in Northern Queensland provide a safe haven for this species.

App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Yellow-breasted Boatbills on Birda

Photos
Sightings
Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Amylia S
Best app for any birding person!
I love this app!! I am so addicted to it when I saw it had 3 star review I was so sad! The app is awesome!! The best app for any birding person! ❤️
Robred 2
Fun way to add to your birdwatching experience
I enjoy watching birds in my backyard, but this app helped me really pay attention while on vacation this summer. It was fun to add new birds to my bird watching app.
Mike T
Sense of Community
A great app, which is continually being improved. What really comes through is the passion of those behind the app. The sense of community is brilliant, so much help and support provided to new and/or in experienced birders.
Chudbond
Love Birda
I love this app. It really encourages you to log your sightings and the community is friendly and helpful.
JCBirding
Just what birding needs
We need more fun in birding, for years it has had a reputation for being up tight and stuffy and only perused by retirees and anoraks. Birda helps change that perception and firmly brings birding into the 21st century! Fun, interactive while still contributing to science and conservation. If you aren’t on it, why not??
Tralisalandhoop
Fantastic app - Love it!
Love this app and have used it almost daily. Lots of species information and easy to use. Love seeing birds spotted by other users in the UK and worldwide.
Alice J
Awesome Birding Community
I absolutely love the community aspect of this app. The app is so user friendly and has fun interactive challenges to get you out birding. I’ve tried others but since I’ve started using Birda I’ve not gone back!
Patricia L
Very encouraging birding app
Easy to use, fun to see progress and encouraging to receive feedback from other users.
Unbridled Discoveries
Great app for bird lovers
I love this app! It’s a wonderful way to track birding sessions, and also connect you with fellow birders. I also really like the unidentified bird section, it’s a great community tool to help figure out what a never-before-seen bird is!
SuperOliviaGirl
Really great app
It’s easy to use and it’s fun to log the birds you notice on a walk or just in your garden. There’s a option to record the birds you see in a session which is really nice. Good excuse to stop for a while and just watch birds. I am also enjoying the information part where you can find out fact about birds from all over the world.
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.