Minivet

Minivet

There are 10 species of minivet, a bird closely related to the cuckoo-shrike. Smaller than the cuckoo-shrike, the minivet may reach a maximum of 8 inches in length. These birds are slender and have sharply pointed tails, unlike the cuckoo-shrike. The minivet species range in colour from rather drab shades of brown and grey to inky black with crimson patches. This small bird, like other small birds such as the hummingbird, uses the silk from spider webs in the creation of its nest. The silk acts as an adhesive and helps to camouflage the minivet with branches and lichen. Some tiny hummingbirds only use spiders' silk in the creation of their nest. [BM] {FW}