Whitehead's broadbill (''Calyptomena whiteheadi'') is a
species
A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
of bird in the
family
Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
Calyptomenidae
Calyptomenidae is a family of passerine birds found in Africa, the Malay Peninsula and Borneo. There are six species in two genera.
The species in this family were formerly included in the broadbill family Eurylaimidae
The Eurylaimidae are a ...
. It is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found only 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 foun ...
to the mountain ranges of north-central
Borneo
Borneo () is the List of islands by area, third-largest island in the world, with an area of , and population of 23,053,723 (2020 national censuses). Situated at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, it is one of the Greater Sunda ...
, where it mainly inhabits
montane forest
Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures lapse rate, fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is ...
s and
forest edge
A woodland edge or forest edge is the transition zone (ecotone) from an area of woodland or forest to fields or other open spaces. Certain species of plants and animals are adapted to the forest edge, and these species are often more familiar to h ...
s at elevations of . It is long, with males weighing and females weighing . Males are vivid green and have a black throat patch, black spots on the and back of the neck, and black markings and streaking all over the body. The tails and
flight feather
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 tai ...
s are also blackish. Females are smaller and lack the black markings on the head and . Juveniles look similar to adults but have fewer black markings.
Described by the British
ornithologist
Ornithology, from Ancient Greek ὄρνις (''órnis''), meaning "bird", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study", is a branch of zoology dedicated to the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related discip ...
Richard Bowdler Sharpe
Richard Bowdler Sharpe (22 November 1847 – 25 December 1909) was an English people, English zoologist and ornithology, ornithologist who worked as curator of the bird collection at the British Museum of natural history. In the course of his car ...
in 1887, Whitehead's broadbill is named after the British explorer
John Whitehead. It mainly feeds on fruit and supplements its diet with insects. Breeding probably occurs from March to June, with
clutches
A clutch is a mechanical device that allows an output shaft to be disconnected from a rotating input shaft. The clutch's input shaft is typically attached to a motor, while the clutch's output shaft is connected to the mechanism that does the ...
containing one or two eggs. Although it is classified as being of
least concern
A least-concern species is a species that has been evaluated and categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as not being a focus of wildlife conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wil ...
by the
International Union for Conservation of Nature
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the stat ...
, it is threatened by
habitat destruction
Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss or habitat reduction) occurs when a natural habitat is no longer able to support its native species. The organisms once living there have either moved elsewhere, or are dead, leading to a decrease ...
and its population is thought to be decreasing.
Taxonomy and systematics
Whitehead's broadbill was described as ''Calyptomena whiteheadi'' by the British naturalist
Richard Bowdler Sharpe
Richard Bowdler Sharpe (22 November 1847 – 25 December 1909) was an English people, English zoologist and ornithology, ornithologist who worked as curator of the bird collection at the British Museum of natural history. In the course of his car ...
in 1887 based on specimens from
Mount Kinabalu
Mount Kinabalu ( Dusun: ''Gayo Ngaran'' or ''Nulu Nabalu'', ) is the highest mountain in Malaysia and Borneo. With a height of , it is the third-highest peak of an island on Earth, the 28th highest peak in Southeast Asia, and 20th most prom ...
,
Borneo
Borneo () is the List of islands by area, third-largest island in the world, with an area of , and population of 23,053,723 (2020 national censuses). Situated at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, it is one of the Greater Sunda ...
.
The name of the
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
, ''
Calyptomena'', is from the
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...
words ''kaluptos'', meaning covered, and ''mēnē'', meaning moon. The
specific name Specific name may refer to:
* in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database
In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules:
* Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...
, ''whiteheadi'', is in honour of the British explorer
John Whitehead, who collected the specimens based on which the species was described. Whitehead's broadbill is the official
common name
In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often con ...
designated by the
International Ornithologists' Union
The International Ornithologists' Union (IOU) is an international organization for the promotion of ornithology
Ornithology, from Ancient Greek ὄρνις (''órnis''), meaning "bird", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study", ...
.
Other names for the species include Whitehead's green broadbill, black-throated broadbill, and black-throated green broadbill.
Whitehead's broadbill is one of three species in the genus ''Calyptomena'', a genus of three bright green broadbills found in
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...
. ''Calyptomena'' is one of two genera in the
family
Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
Calyptomenidae
Calyptomenidae is a family of passerine birds found in Africa, the Malay Peninsula and Borneo. There are six species in two genera.
The species in this family were formerly included in the broadbill family Eurylaimidae
The Eurylaimidae are a ...
, the other being ''
Smithornis'', a genus of three rather dull-coloured species found in Africa. Although species-level relationships within the family are unclear, both the genera are
monophyletic
In biological cladistics for the classification of organisms, monophyly is the condition of a taxonomic grouping being a clade – that is, a grouping of organisms which meets these criteria:
# the grouping contains its own most recent co ...
(including all descendants of a common ancestor) taxa that are
sister
A sister is a woman or a girl who shares parents or a parent with another individual; a female sibling. The male counterpart is a brother. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to ref ...
(most closely related) to each other.
Description
The largest species in the genus ''Calyptomena'', Whitehead's broadbill is long, with males weighing and females weighing . Males are vivid green, with some black on the top of the head, black spots on the and back of the neck, and a large black patch on the lower throat and upper breast. They also have extensive black markings on the wings and upper back, conspicuous streaking on the , and blackish tails and
flight feather
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 tai ...
s. The
iris
Iris most often refers to:
*Iris (anatomy), part of the eye
* Iris (color), an ambiguous color term
*Iris (mythology), a Greek goddess
* ''Iris'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants
* Iris (given name), a feminine given name, and a list of peopl ...
is dark brown, the feet are olive to greyish-green, and the bill is black with a pale lower . The forehead has a large tuft of feathers that nearly covers the bill. Females are smaller than males, with a smaller forehead tuft, no black marking on the head, and duller green underparts that lack black streaking. Juveniles are similar to adults but have fewer black markings.
Whitehead's broadbill can be told apart from the other species in its genus by its larger size, black throat, and more extensive black markings on the body.
Vocalisations
Snoring, grinding, and wheezing two-syllable calls such as ''toc-trrr'' are characteristic of Whitehead's broadbill. Groups of 3–4 males make a rough, harsh ''kerrrrrr'' or ''kh-khrrrrrr'', along with a ''chek, rrrrt-rrrrt'' and ''teek-waaaaarrr''. Other calls include a
staccato
Staccato (; Italian for "detached") is a form of Articulation (music), musical articulation. In modern notation, it signifies a note of shortened duration, separated from the note that may follow by silence. It has been described by theorists and ...
''eek-eek-eek'', a harsh ''tzip'' followed by a 2–3 second long rattle, and a fast series of harsh notes given in flight, all of which are similar to those made by
woodpecker
Woodpeckers are part of the bird family (biology), family Picidae, which also includes the piculets, wrynecks and sapsuckers. Members of this family are found worldwide, except for Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, Madagascar and the extreme ...
s.
A hissing ''ee-ooo'' may be the species'
alarm call
"Alarm Call" is a song recorded by Icelandic singer Björk for her third studio album ''Homogenic'' (1997). It was released as the fourth single from the album, peaking at number 33 in the United Kingdom. The sped-up radio edit of the song was us ...
. It also makes a flat, low-pitched ''go-up'' similar to that of a
trogon
The trogons and quetzals are birds in the order Trogoniformes which contains only one family, the Trogonidae. The family Trogonidae contains 49 species in seven genera. The fossil record of the trogons dates back 49 million years to the Ear ...
(which attracts individuals when mimicked), a high ''saaat'', a loud, grating call like that of a
jay
Jays are a paraphyletic grouping of passerine birds within the family Corvidae. Although the term "jay" carries no taxonomic weight, most or all of the birds referred to as jays share a few similarities: they are small to medium-sized, usually ...
, a snore-like wheeze, and other hissing and grating sounds.
Distribution and habitat
Whitehead's broadbill is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found only 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 foun ...
to Borneo, where it is found in the northern and central parts of the island. It is likely found throughout the entire range of mountains that runs down the centre of the island from Mount Kinabalu to
Kayan Mentarang and
Mount Batu Timbang, although it is locally absent from some areas.
It inhabits
primary
Primary or primaries may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels
* Primary (band), from Australia
* Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea
* Primary Music, Israeli record label
Work ...
montane forest
Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures lapse rate, fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is ...
and
forest edge
A woodland edge or forest edge is the transition zone (ecotone) from an area of woodland or forest to fields or other open spaces. Certain species of plants and animals are adapted to the forest edge, and these species are often more familiar to h ...
, preferring areas with taller growth. It is most common at elevations of , although it can be found at elevations as low as and as high as . It does not
migrate
Migration, migratory, or migrate may refer to: Human migration
* Human migration, physical movement by humans from one region to another
** International migration, when peoples cross state boundaries and stay in the host state for some minimum le ...
, but does move locally depending on the fruiting seasons of the trees it feeds on. Individuals have also been seen at during severe droughts.
Behaviour and ecology
Whitehead's broadbills usually perch silently, but are sometimes loud and conspicuous.
Their
generation length is 4.2 years.
Feeding
The species mainly feeds on fruit, supplementing its diet with insects. The fruits eaten vary from small berries to large
drupe
In botany, a drupe (or stone fruit) is a type of fruit in which an outer fleshy part (exocarp, or skin, and mesocarp, or flesh) surrounds a single shell (the ''pip'' (UK), ''pit'' (US), ''stone'', or ''pyrena'') of hardened endocarp with a seed ...
s, with fruits up to in size found in stomachs. It has also been observed feeding on the strong-smelling fruit of ''
Litsea cubica''. In
Kinabalu Park
Kinabalu Park (), established as one of the first national parks of Malaysia in 1964, is Malaysia's first World Heritage Site designated by UNESCO in December 2000 for its "outstanding universal values" and the role as one of the most importan ...
, the species has been observed hunting moths near lights at dawn.
Whitehead's broadbills usually forage alone, but can sometimes be found in small, noisy flocks near fruiting trees.
They also occasionally join
mixed-species foraging flock
A mixed-species feeding flock, also termed a mixed-species foraging flock, mixed hunting party or informally bird wave, is a flock (birds), flock of usually insectivorous birds of different species that join each other and move together while fora ...
s,
which can also contain
Sunda cuckooshrikes,
chestnut-hooded laughingthrushes,
Sunda laughingthrush
The Sunda laughingthrush (''Garrulax palliatus'') is a bird species in the family Leiothrichidae. It is found on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo in Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland ...
es, and
Whitehead's trogons.
Breeding
The breeding season of Whitehead's broadbill probably lasts from March to June.
Nests are suspended from slender branches around above the ground, with the outside made of fresh green moss. The inside is firm and lined with dry bamboo leaves, forming a well-sheltered cavity. A long extending "tail" made of
lichen
A lichen ( , ) is a hybrid colony (biology), colony of algae or cyanobacteria living symbiotically among hypha, filaments of multiple fungus species, along with yeasts and bacteria embedded in the cortex or "skin", in a mutualism (biology), m ...
and moss helps
camouflage
Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the b ...
the nest.
Clutches
A clutch is a mechanical device that allows an output shaft to be disconnected from a rotating input shaft. The clutch's input shaft is typically attached to a motor, while the clutch's output shaft is connected to the mechanism that does the ...
contain one or two eggs,
which are glossy and pale yellow in colour. The eggs measure .
Incubation lasts 19 days and
fledging
Fledging is the stage in a flying animal's life between hatching or birth and becoming capable of flight.
This term is most frequently applied to birds, but is also used for bats. For altricial birds, those that spend more time in vulnerable c ...
period is 27 days.
Status
Whitehead's broadbill is classified as being of
least concern
A least-concern species is a species that has been evaluated and categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as not being a focus of wildlife conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wil ...
by the
International Union for Conservation of Nature
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the stat ...
due to its sufficiently large range and population and a lack of significant population decline.
It is fairly common in appropriate habitat and occurs in several
protected area
Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewood ...
s, such as
Gunung Mulu National Park
The Gunung Mulu National Park, also known simply as the Mulu National Park is a national park in Miri Division, Sarawak, Malaysia. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that encompasses caves and Karst topography, karst formations in a mountainous ...
and Kinabalu Park.
However, its population is currently thought to be declining due to
habitat destruction
Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss or habitat reduction) occurs when a natural habitat is no longer able to support its native species. The organisms once living there have either moved elsewhere, or are dead, leading to a decrease ...
.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q591261
Calyptomena
Birds of Malaysia
Endemic birds of Borneo
Birds described in 1888
Taxa named by Richard Bowdler Sharpe
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
Fauna of the Borneo montane rain forests