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Honeyeater
The honeyeaters are a large and diverse family (biology), family, Meliphagidae, of small to medium-sized birds. The family includes the Epthianura, Australian chats, myzomelas, friarbirds, wattlebirds, Manorina, miners and melidectes. They are most common in Australia and New Guinea, and found also in New Zealand, the Pacific islands as far east as Samoa and Tonga, and the islands to the north and west of New Guinea known as Wallacea. Bali, on the other side of the Wallace Line, has a single species. In total there are List of honeyeaters, 186 species in 55 genus, genera, roughly half of them native to Australia, many of the remainder occupying New Guinea. With their closest relatives, the Maluridae (Australian fairy-wrens), Pardalotidae (pardalotes), and Acanthizidae (thornbills, Australian warblers, scrubwrens, etc.), they comprise the superfamily Meliphagoidea and originated early in the evolutionary history of the oscine passerine radiation. Although honeyeaters look and beh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
List Of Honeyeaters
Honeyeaters and the Australian chats make up the family Meliphagidae. They are a large and diverse family of small to medium-sized birds most common in Australia and New Guinea, but also found in New Zealand, the Pacific islands as far east as Samoa and Tonga, and the islands to the north and west of New Guinea known as Wallacea. Family: Meliphagidae *''Sugomel'' ** Scaly-crowned honeyeater, ''Sugomel lombokium'' (west-central Lesser Sunda Islands) ** Black honeyeater, ''Sugomel nigrum'' * ''Myzomela'' ** Drab myzomela, ''Myzomela blasii'' (southern Moluccan Islands of Ceram and Ambon) ** White-chinned myzomela, ''Myzomela albigula'' (southeast Papua New Guinea) ** Ruby-throated myzomela, ''Myzomela eques'' (New Guinea and the islands of Waigeo, Salawati, Misool, New Britain, and Umboi) ** Dusky honeyeater, ''Myzomela obscura'' (northern Moluccas, New Guinea, Aru Islands, northern and northeastern Australia, and southwestern Lesser Sunda Islands) ** Red myzomela, ''Myzomela c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Crescent Honeyeater
The crescent honeyeater (''Phylidonyris pyrrhopterus'') is a passerine bird of the honeyeater family Meliphagidae native to southeastern Australia. A member of the genus '' Phylidonyris'', it is most closely related to the common New Holland honeyeater (''P. novaehollandiae'') and the white-cheeked honeyeater (''P. niger''). Two subspecies are recognized, with ''P. p. halmaturinus'' restricted in range to Kangaroo Island and the Mount Lofty Ranges in South Australia. It has dark grey plumage and paler underparts, highlighted by yellow wing-patches and a broad, black crescent, outlined in white, down the sides of its breast. The species exhibits slight sexual dimorphism, with the female being duller in colour than the male. Juvenile birds are similar to the female, though the yellow wing-patches of male nestlings can be easily distinguished. The male has a complex and variable song, which is heard throughout the year. It sings from an exposed perch, and during the breeding sea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wattlebird
''Anthochaera'' is a genus of birds in the honeyeater family. The species are endemic to Australia and include the little wattlebird, the red wattlebird, the western wattlebird, and the yellow wattlebird. A molecular phylogenetic study has shown that the regent honeyeater also belongs in this genus. Description Of the five species in the genus only the yellow wattlebird (''Anthochaera paradoxa'') and the red wattlebird (''A. carunculata'') have the wattles of their common name. These are bare fleshy appendages, usually wrinkled and often brightly coloured, hanging from the cheeks, neck or throat, and presumably serving for display. A common name for species of the genus is wattlebird, a term also used for unrelated avian species. Taxonomy The genus ''Anthochaera'' was introduced in 1827 by the naturalists Nicholas Aylward Vigors and Thomas Horsfield. The name is derived from the Greek ''anthos'' meaning flower or bloom and ''khairō'' meaning to enjoy. The type species was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Epthianura
''Epthianura'' is a genus of bird also known as the Australian chats. Along with the gibberbird in the genus ''Ashbyia'' they were once thought to constitute a separate family, the Epthianuridae, although most taxonomists today treat them as a subfamily, Epthianurinae, of the honeyeater family Meliphagidae. Distribution, habitat and movements The genus ''Epthianura'' is endemic to the continent of Australia, where they are widely distributed across the mainland and, in the case of the white-fronted chat, Tasmania.Del Hoyo, J.; Elliot, A. & Christie D. (editors). (2007). ''Handbook of the Birds of the World''. Volume 12: Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees. Lynx Edicions. With the exception of that species they are generally distributed in the central part of Australia; the white-fronted chat being the most coastal species. The Australian chats have adapted to a wide range of habitat types in the interior of Australia, though they generally are found in more shrubby environments t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Manorina
''Manorina'' is a genus of Australian endemic honeyeaters, containing four species: the black-eared miner (''M. melanotis'') the yellow-throated miner (''M. flavigula''), the noisy miner (''M. melanocephala'') and the bell miner (''M. melanophrys''). The genus is notable for the complex social organisation of its species, which live in colonies that can be further subdivided into coteries and nest contingents. Description The four species are stockily built honeyeaters with rounded wings and yellow bills. One of their most obvious characteristics is a patch of bare yellow skin behind the eyes, which gives them an odd 'Esotropia, cross-eyed' look. They are predominantly insectivorous and feed by gleaning. Their nests sit on other structures (such as tree branches) rather than hang down. Taxonomy The genus was first described by French naturalist Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot in volume 19 of his work ''Nouveau Dictionnaire d'Histoire Naturelle, appliquée aux arts, principalement à ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Melidectes
''Melidectes'' is a genus of bird in the honeyeater family Meliphagidae. All six species are endemic to New Guinea. The generic name is derived from the Greek ''meli'' for honey and ''dektes'' for beggar or receiver. Description They are medium-sized honeyeaters, varied in appearance but possessing a long and sometimes stout bill and bare patch around the eye which is quite large and brightly coloured in some species. Habitat The genus is overwhelmingly restricted to montane environments. They occupy mountain forest, forest edge, alpine shrubland and shrubby thickets in grasslands. In some instances where two species occupy similar ranges, for example the Belford's melidectes and the yellow-browed melidectes in the Schrader Ranges, the two species exclude each other and occur at different attitudes. Feeding The diet of the melidectes is not known for all species, but for those that are known it consists of insects, nectar, pollen, fruit and berries. The short-bearded melidecte ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Meliphagoidea
__NOTOC__ Meliphagoidea is a superfamily of passerine birds. They contain a vast diversity of small to mid-sized songbirds widespread in the Austropacific region. The Australian Continent has the largest richness in genera and species. Systematics This group was proposed based on the phenetic DNA-DNA hybridization studies of Charles Sibley ''et al.''. A more modern definition of a monophyletic Meliphagoidea based on cladistic analysis was made by ornithologists at the American Museum of Natural History.Barker, F. Keith; Cibois, Alice; Schikler, Peter A.; Feinstein, Julie & Cracraft, Joel (2004): Phylogeny and diversification of the largest avian radiation. ''PNAS'' 101 (30): 11040–11045. PDF fulltext Families *Family Maluridae: fairy-wrens, emu-wrens and grasswrens *Family Dasyornithidae: bristlebirds. Formerly in Acanthizidae. *Family Acanthizidae: scrubwrens, thornbills and gerygones *Family Pardalotidae: pardalotes (but see below) *Family Meliphagidae: honeyeaters The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Myzomela
''Myzomela'' is a genus of bird in the honeyeater family Meliphagidae. It is the largest genus of honeyeaters, with 39 species, and the most geographically widespread. It ranges from Indonesia to Australia and into the islands of the Pacific Ocean as far as Micronesia and Samoa. The genus was introduced by the naturalists Nicholas Vigors and Thomas Horsfield in 1827. The type species is the scarlet myzomela (''Myzomela sanguinolenta''). The title page is dated 1826. The genus contains the following 40 species: * Drab myzomela (''Myzomela blasii'') * White-chinned myzomela (''Myzomela albigula'') * Ashy myzomela (''Myzomela cineracea'') * Ruby-throated myzomela (''Myzomela eques'') *Moluccan myzomela (''Myzomela simplex'') * Red-tinged myzomela (''Myzomela rubrotincta'') *Biak myzomela (''Myzomela rubrobrunnea'') * Dusky myzomela (''Myzomela obscura'') * Red myzomela (''Myzomela cruentata'') *Reddish myzomela (''Myzomela erythrina'') * Papuan black myzomela (''Myzomela nigr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oscine
A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds (Passeriformes). Another name that is sometimes seen as the scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin ''oscen'', "songbird". The Passeriformes contains 5000 or so speciesEdwards, Scott V. and John Harshman. 2013. Passeriformes. Perching Birds, Passerine Birds. Version 06 February 2013 (under construction). http://tolweb.org/Passeriformes/15868/2013.02.06 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/ ccessed 2017/12/11 found all over the world, in which the vocal organ typically is developed in such a way as to produce a diverse and elaborate bird song. Songbirds form one of the two major lineages of extant perching birds (~4000 species), the other being the Tyranni (~1000 species), which are most diverse in the Neotropics and absent from many parts of the world. The Tyranni have a simpler syrinx musculature, and while their vocalizations are often just as complex and striking as tho ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Friarbird
The friarbirds, also called leatherheads, are about 15 species of relatively large honeyeaters in the genus ''Philemon''. Additionally, the single member of the genus ''Melitograis'' is called the white-streaked friarbird. Friarbirds are found in Australia, Papua New Guinea, eastern Indonesia, and New Caledonia. They eat nectar, insects and other invertebrates, flowers, fruit, and seeds. The friarbirds generally have drab plumage. They derive their name from the circular pattern at the crown of their heads and their neutral coloring, which makes them resemble friars. In many instances, their plumage is mimicked by smaller orioles, which use the aggressive nature of the friarbirds to avoid aggression themselves. Species The genus ''Philemon'' contains the following extant species: * Meyer's friarbird (''Philemon meyeri'') * Brass's friarbird (''Philemon brassi'') * Little friarbird (''Philemon citreogularis'') * Grey friarbird (''Philemon kisserensis'') * Timor friarbird ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Passerine
A passerine () is any bird of the order Passeriformes (; from Latin 'sparrow' and '-shaped'), which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds, passerines are distinguished from other orders of birds by the arrangement of their toes (three pointing forward and one back), which facilitates perching. With more than 140 families and some 6,500 identified species, Passeriformes is the largest clade of birds and among the most diverse clades of terrestrial vertebrates, representing 60% of birds.Ericson, P.G.P. et al. (2003Evolution, biogeography, and patterns of diversification in passerine birds ''J. Avian Biol'', 34:3–15.Selvatti, A.P. et al. (2015"A Paleogene origin for crown passerines and the diversification of the Oscines in the New World" ''Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution'', 88:1–15. Passerines are divided into three clades: Acanthisitti (New Zealand wrens), Tyranni (suboscines), and Passeri (oscines or songbirds). The passeri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sunbird
Sunbirds and spiderhunters make up the family Nectariniidae of passerine birds. They are small, slender passerines from the Old World, usually with downward-curved bills. Many are brightly coloured, often with iridescent feathers, particularly in the males. Many species also have especially long tail feathers. Their range extends through most of Africa to the Middle East, South Asia, South-east Asia and southern China, to Indonesia, New Guinea and northern Australia. Species diversity is highest in equatorial regions. There are 145 species in 16 genera. Most sunbirds feed largely on nectar, but will also eat insects and spiders, especially when feeding their young. Flowers that prevent access to their nectar because of their shape (for example, very long and narrow flowers) are simply punctured at the base near the nectaries, from which the birds sip the nectar. Fruit is also part of the diet of some species. Their flight is fast and direct, thanks to their short wings. The sun ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
