Typical Broadbills

The Eurylaimidae family of birds, known as broadbills, are colorful, insectivorous, and carnivorous birds found from the eastern Himalayas to Indonesia and the Philippines. Though once grouped with relatives such as the sapayoa, asities, and Calyptomenidae, broadbills are now classified separately. Recognizable by their wide heads, large eyes, and distinctive flat, hooked beaks, they range in size from 13 to 28 centimeters. Broadbills dwell in the dense wet forest canopies, their bright plumage surprisingly camouflaged among the foliage. The juveniles look similar to adults but somewhat duller and with shorter wings and tails. Their diet mainly consists of insects, spiders, and other small prey, which they catch by sallying from a perch or gleaning in-flight, although some species do eat fruit as well. Notably sociable, broadbills often travel in flocks and build intricate purse-shaped nests that blend into their surroundings with decorative lichen and spider webs. Nests are attached to hanging vines and typically contain two to three eggs. The family, established by René Lesson in 1831, includes nine species, some of which are the only representatives of their genus. Species like the Grauer's broadbill are unique to the family, while others belong to genera such as Cymbirhynchus, Psarisomus, Serilophus, Eurylaimus, Sarcophanops, Corydon, and Pseudocalyptomena.