The Black Scimitarbill is an African bird with a long curved bill and tail that searches tree trunks and branches for food.
It has a slender body, broad rounded wings, a long stepped tail, and a long down-curved bill. Adult plumage has blue and violet iridescence, and white bands show on the wings in flight.
It forages alone or in pairs in trees, often searching dead wood and beneath bark. Its diet is mainly insects, with berries and small fruits also eaten when available.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.