Behaviour This species is predominantly sedentary, although it may make local nomadic movements in response to rainfall during periods of drought (del Hoyo et al. 1992, Hockey et al. 2005). It forages diurnally in pairs or small groups of between 5 and 30individuals (del Hoyo et al. 1992) (occasionally in groups of 50-200) (Hancock et al. 1992, del Hoyo et al. 1992), and roosts nightly in groups of up to 100 (Hancock et al. 1992, del Hoyo et al. 1992). It often uses the same roost site year-round, year after year, although it will wander several kilometres away to forage during the day (Hancock et al. 1992, del Hoyo et al. 1992). The species breeds in solitary pairs (del Hoyo et al. 1992), with breeding reaching a peak during or just after the rainy season (although in Gambia and Tanzania breeding is restricted to the dry season) (del Hoyo et al. 1992). Habitat This species inhabits wooded streams and river courses in open moist grassland and savanna woodland (Brown et al. 1982, del Hoyo et al. 1992), and is attracted to man-made irrigated habitats (Hancock et al. 1992), such as cultivated land, large gardens and playing fields (del Hoyo et al. 1992, Hockey et al. 2005). It less often occurs in marshes, flooded grassland, the edges of lakes and reservoirs, mangrove swamps, coastal beaches (Brown et al. 1982, del Hoyo et al. 1992), open woodland and at forest edges (del Hoyo et al. 1992). Diet This species is carnivorous, its diet consisting largely of insects (especially weevils, Diptera, the pupae of Lepidoptera and the larvae of Coleoptera), as well as crustaceans, millipedes, centipedes, spiders, earthworms, snails and small reptiles (del Hoyo et al. 1992). Breeding site The nest is a basket-shaped platform of sticks and twigs situated 1-12 m (usually 3-6 m) above the ground or above water on a horizontal tree branch, in bushes or on man-made structures such as telegraph poles (Brown et al. 1982, del Hoyo et al. 1992), dam walls or pergolas (Hockey et al. 2005). The same nest site is usually used year after year (but not necessarily by the same breeding pair) (Brown et al. 1982).