Archbold's newtonia

Archbold's newtonia (Newtonia archboldi) is a species of bird in the family Vangidae.

It is endemic to Madagascar. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. The birds have a greyish brown back and tail, with a rufous forecrown and a buffy white belly, throat, and undertail coverts. They have a conspicuous rufous eye-ring, accompanied with a black bill and pale yellow eyes. The species is sexually monomorphic, and there is no major difference between the sexes. There is no breeding plumage for the males.

The newtonia is an insectivore and feeds almost entirely on arthropods. Food is typically gleaned from twigs and foliage, or less commonly from bark or from the ground. It builds an open cup nest which are supported on shrubs. Clutches are typically of 3 eggs. The eggs are reddish white in colour and have many pale brown spots on the larger end of the egg.

The name commemorates the New Guinea explorer and ornithologist Richard Archbold.

It is a small, short-winged, and long-legged bird with a short and slender beak. It is 12 cm (4.7 in) long and weighs 7.2–8.3 g (0.25–0.29 oz). The average bill length is 13.5 mm (0.53 in).

The top of the head and the upperparts are greyish brown, with a rufous wash on the forecrown and a dark rufous ring around the eyes. The central chin and throat are buffy white, along with the belly and undertail coverts. The breast and flanks are cinnamon buff. The cheeks and auriculars are greyish brown and the tail is grey brown. It has a black bill with pale yellow eyes. The species is sexually monomorphic. Juveniles have less rufous on the head, and have their greater wing coverts are also broadly tipped with rufous brown, with the secondaries edged buff.

Songs are generally made from concealed perches. Their calls have been described as "a rapid series of strong, rather low-pitched whistles". The songs are distinctive variable warbles composed of 4-5 syllables, either "tee-too tekhew" or "chichichich wit-tee tew". Other calls include "tchiew". Songs are described as varying from individual to individual. Singing is not restricted to just the breeding season, but is also often heard outside of the breeding season.