''Epthianura'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

also known as the Australian chats. Along with the

gibberbird The gibberbird (''Ashbyia lovensis'') is a species of chat within the passerine birds. Taxonomy This species, also formerly known as the desert chat, is endemic to Australia and the only species within the genus ''Ashbyia''.Pizzey, Graham; Doyle ...

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 The honeyeaters are a large and diverse family, Meliphagidae, of small to medium-sized birds. The family includes the Australian chats, myzomelas, friarbirds, wattlebirds, miners and melidectes. They are most common in Australia and New Guinea ...

Distribution, habitat and movements

The genus ''Epthianura'' is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to the continent of

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, where they are widely distributed across the mainland and, in the case of the white-fronted chat,

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

.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. 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 than wooded ones and are also seldom found in high altitudes. They are particularly adapted to arid environments, but also frequent riparian woodlands, temporary and permanent wetlands, herblands, and even human modified farmlands. There are large gaps in the knowledge of the migratory movements of the Australian chats. Some species are apparently nomadic, at least over parts of their range, and others migratory, but the difficulty in reaching and surveying much of their habitat (and the avoidance of the centre of Australia during the height of summer by many observers) means that complete picture of these movements has not yet been obtained. It is also apparent that many of these movements are not only seasonal but dependent on weather conditions, birds may be common in on locality in some years but not in others. This nomadism allows them to make use of unpredictable rainfall in the arid deserts.Williams C.K. (1979) "Ecology of Australian Chats (''Epthianura'' Gould): Reproduction in Aridity". ''Australian Journal of Zoology'' 27 (2): 213 - 229

Description

The Australian chats are small

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 ...

s adapted to a highly terrestrial existence. The bill is short and slender, and overall they are slightly more rotund than the honeyeaters. In common with the rest of the honeyeaters they have a brush-tipped tongue. The

plumage Plumage ( "feather") is a layer of feathers that covers a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage differ between species and subspecies and may vary with age classes. Within species, ...

of the genus is

sexually dimorphic Sexual dimorphism is the condition where the sexes of the same animal and/or plant species exhibit different morphological characteristics, particularly characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most ani ...

, with the males having bright (or in the case of the white-fronted chat, striking) colours. The breast and cap of the

crimson chat The crimson chat (''Epthianura tricolor'') is a species of small bird found in Australia. It is also known as the tricoloured chat, saltbush canary, and crimson-breasted nun. Description Crimson chats are usually in length and in weight. They h ...

is bright crimson as the name suggests, and the back is dark grey with a white throat. In contrast the female lacks any crimson except on her rump. The male

orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower *Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum * ...

and

yellow chat The yellow chat (''Epthianura crocea'') is a small passerine bird endemic to Australia.Houston, W., Porter, G., O’Neill, P., and Elder, R. (2004). "The ecology of the critically endangered yellow chat Epthianura crocea macgregori on Curtis Isla ...

s have bright yellow/gold plumage, whereas the females are much duller grey. The most unusual species is the white-fronted chat, which in the male has a striking black back and chest band and a white face and belly. The yellow and crimson chats are unusual amongst the honeyeaters in having seasonal differences in plumage, particularly in the males, which are much duller in the non-breeding season.

Behaviour

The Australian chats are predominantly terrestrial birds. While they will make use of low shrubs, they are seldom seen in the upper levels of trees. They are conspicuous birds, particular the brightly coloured males, and generally unconcerned by human activity, although they are more circumspect in the breeding season around the nest. They generally occur in pairs or small groups, but will form larger flocks during the non-breeding season.

Species

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q990108 Bird genera Taxonomy articles created by Polbot