The New Britain bronzewing (''Henicophaps foersteri'') is a species of

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 ...

in the family

Columbidae Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily ...

. It 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 ...

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

. In 1988, it was rated as a near threatened species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Endangered Species. However, in 2000, it was warranted a vulnerable status.

Description

The New Britain bronzewing measures about in length, having long wingspan. The tail measures , and the bill measures in length. It has a buff coloured forehead and a reddish brown

crown A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...

. The irides and the

bill Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Plac ...

are dark. It has dark brown

upperparts Standard anatomical terms of location are used to unambiguously describe the anatomy of animals, including humans. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position prov ...

, and the chin, throat, and ear feathers are creamy white. The greater and the median coverts are metallic golden green, and the lesser coverts are dark maroon. It has blue iridescent

tertials Flight feathers (''Pennae volatus'') are the long, stiff, asymmetrically shaped, but symmetrically paired pennaceous feathers on the wings or tail of a bird; those on the wings are called remiges (), singular remex (), while those on the tail ...

. It emits a monotonously repeating ''pip-yia'' call, with the second note being higher pitched than the first note.

Distribution and habitat

The New Britain bronzewing is

. Its natural habitat is

old-growth An old-growth forestalso termed primary forest, virgin forest, late seral forest, primeval forest, or first-growth forestis a forest that has attained great age without significant disturbance, and thereby exhibits unique ecological featur ...

and

second-growth A secondary forest (or second-growth forest) is a forest or woodland area which has re-grown after a timber harvest or clearing for agriculture, until a long enough period has passed so that the effects of the disturbance are no longer evident. ...

lowland

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

s up to elevations of at least above sea level.

Status and conservation

In 1988, the New Britain bronzewing was rated as a near threatened species on the

IUCN Red List of Endangered Species The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biolog ...

. However, in 2000, it was warranted a vulnerable status due to its small population numbering less than 5,000, which is probably decreasing due to habitat loss. It is a rare species. It has been recorded in the Poikili and the Garu Wildlife Protection Areas.

References

External links

BirdLife Species Factsheet.
* {{Taxonbar, from=Q661991 New Britain bronzewing Birds of New Britain New Britain bronzewing Taxonomy articles created by Polbot