Archbold's bowerbird

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Archbold's bowerbird
Naturalis Biodiversity Center - RMNH.AVES.19827 1 - Archboldia papuensis papuensis Rand, 1940 - Ptilonorhynchidae - bird skin specimen.jpeg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Ptilonorhynchidae
Genus: Archboldia
Rand, 1940
Species:
A. papuensis
Binomial name
Archboldia papuensis
Rand, 1940

Archbold's bowerbird (Archboldia papuensis) is a passerine bird in the bowerbird family Ptilonorhynchidae that is endemic to highland forests of New Guinea.

Contents

It is medium-sized, dark grey songbird with brown iris, grey feet and black bill. It around 37 cm (15 in) in length. The male has narrow black scalloping with golden yellow crown feathers and dark grey forked tail, that shorter than the wing. The female is smaller than male, with yellow patch on wings and has no crown feathering.

Taxonomy

Archbold's bowerbird was formally described in 1940 by the Canadian zoologist Austin L. Rand from a male specimen collected at an altitude of 2,200 m (7,200 ft)18 km (11 mi) north of Lake Habbema in the Snow Mountains of Western New Guinea. Rand erected a new genus, Archboldia, and coined the binomial name Archboldia papuensis. [2] [3] The genus and common names honour the American zoologist Richard Archbold. [4] A molecular phylogenetic study by Per Ericson and collaborators published in 2020 found that Archbold's bowerbird was embedded in the genus Amblyornis . [5]

Two subspecies are recognised: [6]

The subspecies A. p. sanfordi, Sanford's bowerbird, has sometimes been treated as a separate species. [7] [8]

Description

The male Archbold's bowerbird has an overall length of 37 cm (15 in) and a weight of 170–195 g (6.0–6.9 oz). The female is slight smaller with a length of 35 cm (14 in) and a weight of 163–185 g (5.7–6.5 oz). The male of the nominate race is dark grey to black with an orange-yellow crest. The bill is black, the legs are blue-grey and the iris is dark brown. The female is dark brown rather than black and lacks a crest. [8]

It is notable for going to great lengths in acquiring shed ornamental plumes of the King of Saxony bird-of-paradise for decorating its courtship bower.[ citation needed ]

Archbold's bowerbird is evaluated as least concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. [1]

References

  1. 1 2 BirdLife International. (2022). "Archboldia papuensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2022: e.T22731912A217503031. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-2.RLTS.T22731912A217503031.en .
  2. ↑ Rand, Austin L. (1940). Results of the Archbold Expeditions. No. 25. New Birds from the 1938-1939 expedition. American Museum Novitates. Vol. 1072. New York: The American Museum of Natural History. p. 9.
  3. ↑ Mayr, Ernst; Greenway, James C. Jr, eds. (1962). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 15. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 175.
  4. ↑ Jobling, James A. "Archboldia". The Key to Scientific Names. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
  5. ↑ Ericson, P.G.P.; Irestedt, M.; Nylander, J.A.A.; Christidis, L.; Joseph, L.; Qu, Y. (2020). "Parallel evolution of bower-building behavior in two groups of bowerbirds suggested by phylogenomics". Systematic Biology. 69 (5): 820–829. doi: 10.1093/sysbio/syaa040 .
  6. ↑ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (February 2025). "Lyrebirds, scrubbirds, bowerbirds, Australasian treecreepers, Australasian wrens". IOC World Bird List Version 15.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
  7. ↑ Frith, C.; Frith, D. (2020). del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J.; Christie, D.A.; de Juana, E. (eds.). "Archbold's Bowerbird (Archboldia papuensis), version 1.0" . Birds of the World. Ithaca, NY, USA: Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
  8. 1 2 Frith, C.B.; Frith, D.W. (2009). "Family Ptilonorhynchidae (Bowerbirds)" . In del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 14: Bush-shrikes to Old World Sparrows. Barcelona, Spain: Lynx Edicions. pp. 350-403 [396]. ISBN   978-84-96553-50-7.
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