The blue-capped ifrit (''Ifrita kowaldi''), also known as the blue-capped ifrita, is a small and insectivorous

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 t ...

species currently placed in the

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...

family, Ifritidae. Previously, the ifrit has been placed in a plethora of families including

Cinclosomatidae Cinclosomatidae is a family of passerine birds native to Australia and New Guinea. It has a complicated taxonomic history and different authors vary in which birds they include in the family. It includes the quail-thrushes and jewel-babblers. Ta ...

Monarchidae The monarchs (family Monarchidae) comprise a family of over 100 passerine birds which includes shrikebills, paradise flycatchers, and magpie-larks. Monarchids are small insectivorous songbirds with long tails. They inhabit forest or woodland a ...

. Blue-capped ifrits are considered an ancient relict species endemic to

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea). It is a simplified version of ...

. This corvoid species originally dates back to the

Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the epoch are well identified but the ...

epoch, on a series of proto-Papuan islands, with minimal known evolutionary divergences.

Description

The blue-capped ifrit is 16–17 cm (6.3–6.7 in) long and weighs 34-36 g (1.2–1.3 oz). Species plumage is yellowish brown with a blue-black crown atop their broad head. It is a sexually dimorphic species, with ear streak coloration being white in males and more tawny yellow in females. Ifrits tend to have more stout body shapes with broad sternums and shallow keels. Their wings are short and rounded while their legs are booted, having feathers down to their stout and clawed feet. Additionally, blue-capped ifrits have

batrachotoxin Batrachotoxin (BTX) is an extremely potent cardio- and neurotoxic steroidal alkaloid found in certain species of beetles, birds, and frogs. The name is from the Greek word grc, βάτραχος, bátrachos, frog, label=none. Structurally-relate ...

within their feathers and skin.

Distribution and habitat

Blue-capped ifrits are endemic to New Guinea and Papua New Guinea, being found nowhere else on earth and having a distribution of 388,000 km². Ifrits inhabit montane rainforest of New Guinea, living in altitude ranges of 1,000–4,000 meters (3,280–13,123 feet) above sea level. Typically, they are found at altitudes of 1,500 meters (4,921 feet) or above.

Behaviour and ecology

As birds with weak flight abilities, blue-capped ifrits build nests about 1–3 meters (3–10 feet) above the ground in the branches of denser rainforest vegetation. These nests are made of plant fibers with some feathers. The parents tend to camouflage the outside of the nest with moss and liverworts. Ifrits lay small clutches with a typical nest containing only a single offspring. The nest camouflage, toxin excretion, and small clutch sizes may have derived from historically high rates of depredation and nest parasitism.

Toxin

Blue-capped ifrits are among a small group of avian species that are poisonous, the others being the

little shrikethrush Little shrikethrush has been split into the following species: * Arafura shrikethrush, ''Colluricincla megarhyncha'' * Variable shrikethrush, ''Colluricincla fortis'' * Waigeo shrikethrush, ''Colluricincla affinis'' * Mamberamo shrikethrush ...

(''

Colluricincla A shrikethrush, also spelt shrike-thrush, is any one of eleven species of songbird that is a member of the genus ''Colluricincla''. They have nondescript, predominantly brown or grey, plumage, but are accomplished singers, their calls described as ...

''), and several members of the '' Pitohui,'' also from New Guinea. Ifrits excrete batrachotoxin into their feathers and skin in order to defend themselves against predators. Generally, batrachotoxin binds and permanently opens the sodium channels in nerve cells and can cause paralysis. The accumulation of toxins varies in individuals based on the region they are found in and this could be due to the availability of Choresine spp beetles, which are speculated to be the dietary source of the toxin itself.

Conservation status

Ifrits are of least concern because they have a large range. Ifrits seem to have stable population and are thought to have quite a large population size. Part of their range lies within conservation sites.

References

Bibliography

* del Hoyo, J.; Elliot, A. & Christie D. (editors). (2007). ''

Handbook of the Birds of the World The ''Handbook of the Birds of the World'' (HBW) is a multi-volume series produced by the Spanish publishing house Lynx Edicions in partnership with BirdLife International. It is the first handbook to cover every known living species of bird. T ...

''. Volume 12: Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees. Lynx Edicions.

External links

BirdLife Species Factsheet

''The Intoxicating Birds of New Guinea'' by John Tidwell
{{Taxonbar, from=Q197959 Bird families Birds of New Guinea

blue-capped ifrit The blue-capped ifrit (''Ifrita kowaldi''), also known as the blue-capped ifrita, is a small and insectivorous passerine species currently placed in the monotypic family, Ifritidae. Previously, the ifrit has been placed in a plethora of families ...

Endemic fauna of New Guinea Toxic birds