| Velvet asity | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Male | |
 | |
| Female | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Philepittidae |
| Genus: | Philepitta |
| Species: | P. castanea |
| Binomial name | |
| Philepitta castanea (Müller, 1776) | |
The velvet asity (Philepitta castanea) is a species of bird in the family Philepittidae. It is endemic to Madagascar.
Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests .
Male P. castanea have yellow tips to its feathers when newly molted, but these wear off, leaving the bird all black; at the same time, a green wattle grows above the eye. The female is greenish. [2]
Velvet asities eat berries and other fruit in undergrowth, including gastonia duplicata. [3] They build hanging nests with a little roof over the entrance. They tend to be sedentary. [4]
