Australasian figbird | |
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A pair in Queensland, Australia (female on left; yellow variant on right) | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Family: | Oriolidae |
Genus: | Sphecotheres |
Species: | S. vieilloti |
Binomial name | |
Sphecotheres vieilloti | |
Synonyms | |
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The Australasian figbird (Sphecotheres vieilloti), also known as the green figbird (not to be confused with the Timor figbird), is a conspicuous, medium-sized passerine bird native to a wide range of wooded habitats in northern and eastern Australia, southern New Guinea, and the Kai Islands. [2] It is common in large parts of its range, and occurs in numerous protected areas. Consequently, it is rated as least concern by BirdLife International and the IUCN. [1]
Formerly, the Australasian figbird was considered as a subspecies of the green figbird and referred to as simply the figbird, a name still commonly used in Australia, where the Australasian figbird is the only figbird present. The Australasian figbird was split from the green figbird primarily based on differences in measurements, plumage, and biogeography. Additionally, the Australasian figbird has sometimes been split into two separate species, the more northern, yellow figbird (S. flaviventris) and the green or southern figbird (S. vieilloti), but the two intergrade widely where they come into contact, supporting the view that they are part of a single biological species. [2]
Five subspecies are recognized:
The Australasian figbird has a total length of 27.0–29.5 cm (10.6–11.6 in) [4] and a jizz comparable to that of other orioles. With a body mass of around 111 to 130 g (3.9 to 4.6 oz), it is probably the largest of the Old World orioles. [5] It is sexually dimorphic, and the racial differences are almost entirely limited to the male. Males of all subspecies have a black tail with broad white tips to the outer rectrices, white crissum (the undertail coverts surrounding the cloaca), blackish primaries, a black head, distinct bright red facial skin, a black bill with a red base, and pinkish legs. [4] In the nominate subspecies, the body is largely olive-green, and the throat, neck and chest are grey. The subspecies cucullatus, ashbyi and flaviventris are yellowish olive-green above, and bright yellow below (including the throat). [2] The last subspecies, salvadorii, resembles previous, but with a grey throat, collar and chest similar to the nominate subspecies, [6] thereby giving it an intermediate appearance not unlike some hybrids between the nominate and flaviventris subspecies in Australia.
Females are drab-coloured, being dull brownish above, and white below with strong dark streaking. [4] They have greyish facial skin, and a greyish-black bill. Juveniles resemble females, but the streaking below is typically not as strong. The other orioles in its range, the brown and olive-backed orioles, are superficially similar, but have entirely red bills when adult. [7] [4]
Australasian figbirds make a large number of different short calls, and are also able to mimic the voices of other birds, for example parrots and other species of orioles. [2] The song consists of a series of simple whistles. [2]
As suggested by their name, Australasian figbirds are largely frugivorous, [4] but also take small insects, nectar and small seeds. [2] While largely a resident species (although the southern population may be migratory), it is nomadic in response to the availability of food. [2]
Unlike most orioles, Australasian figbirds are gregarious, [4] often forming flocks of 20 to 40 birds during the nonbreeding season, and even breeding in small, loose colonies. [2] The flimsy, saucer-shaped nest is made from plant material, and usually placed relatively high in a tree. The clutch of two to four eggs is incubated by both sexes, and typically hatches after 16–17 days. [2] It has been recorded nesting near the aggressive spangled drongo and helmeted friarbird, possibly gaining an advantage as they keep potential nest predators away. Australasian figbirds sometimes fall victim to nest parasitism by Pacific koels. [2]
The hooded oriole is a medium-sized New World oriole. The male of this species ranges in color from a bright orange to a paler yellow, with a black back, face, tail and bib, with the wing containing two white bars. The female is more of an olive color with some yellow accents.
The green oriole or Australasian yellow oriole is an inconspicuous inhabitant of lush tropical vegetation throughout Australia and New Guinea.
The figbirds are a genus (Sphecotheres) in the family of Old World orioles found in wooded habitats in Australia, New Guinea, and the Lesser Sundas.
The black-crested bulbul is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is found from the Indian subcontinent to southeast Asia.
The yellow oriole is a passerine bird in the family Icteridae. It should not be confused with the green oriole, sometimes alternatively called the Australasian yellow oriole, which is an Old World oriole.
The white-necked thrush is a songbird found in forest and woodland in South America. The taxonomy is potentially confusing, and it sometimes includes the members of the T. assimilis group as subspecies, in which case the "combined species" is referred to as the white-throated thrush. On the contrary, it may be split into two species, the rufous-flanked thrush and the grey-flanked thrush.
The Oriental dollarbird is a bird of the roller family, so named because of the distinctive pale blue or white, coin-shaped spots on its wings. It can be found from Australia to Korea, Japan and India.
The ochre-lored flatbill or yellow-breasted flycatcher, is a passerine bird in the tyrant flycatcher family. It is found in South America, ranging from Colombia and Venezuela south to Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil, and on both Trinidad and Tobago. There are significant variations in its voice and plumage, with western birds duller and more olive, and eastern and northern birds brighter and more ochre-yellow. The two are sometimes considered separate species, the western olive-faced flatbill, T. viridiceps, and the eastern and northern ochre-lored flatbill, T. flaviventris.
The Australian golden whistler or golden whistler, is a species of bird found in forest, woodland, mallee, mangrove and scrub in Australia. Most populations are resident, but some in south-eastern Australia migrate north during the winter. Its taxonomy is highly complex and remains a matter of dispute, with some authorities including as many as 59 subspecies of the golden whistler, while others treat several of these as separate species.
The red-collared lorikeet is a species of parrot found in wooded habitats in northern Australia. It was previously considered a subspecies of the rainbow lorikeet, but today most major authorities consider them as separate species. No other member of the rainbow lorikeet group has an orange-red collar over the nape.
The olive-crowned flowerpecker is a small passerine bird in the flowerpecker family, Dicaeidae. It is found in far western New Guinea and on adjacent islands.
The Abyssinian crimsonwing, also known as the Ethiopian crimsonwing, Salvadori's crimsonwing or crimson-backed forest finch, is a common species of estrildid finch found in eastern Africa. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 190,000 km2 (73,000 sq mi).
The green figbird or Timor figbird is a species of bird in the family Oriolidae. It is endemic to forest, woodland, mangrove, and scrub on the Indonesian islands of Roti and Timor. It is moderately common, so is considered to be of least concern by BirdLife International and the IUCN.
The fairy gerygone, previously known as the fairy warbler, is a species of bird in the family Acanthizidae native to New Guinea and Queensland.
The black-chinned honeyeater is a species of passerine bird in the family Meliphagidae. It is endemic to Australia. Two subspecies are recognised. Its natural habitats are temperate forests and subtropical or tropical dry forests.
The lemon-bellied flyrobin or lemon-bellied flycatcher is a species of bird in the family Petroicidae. Found in Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea, its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical mangrove forests.
The Wetar figbird is a species of bird in the family Oriolidae. It is endemic to forest, woodland and scrub on the Indonesian island of Wetar. The Wetar figbird remains poorly known, and although threatened by habitat loss, recent population estimates are greater than originally estimated, resulting in it being now listed as Least Concern by BirdLife International and the IUCN. The Wetar figbird resembles the better known Australasian figbird, but is much smaller and the male has entirely white underparts. Formerly, it has been considered a subspecies of the green figbird, but they are now classified as two separate species.
The orange-eyed flatbill or orange-eyed flycatcher is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae. It is found in the Amazon in south-eastern Colombia, eastern Ecuador, and north-eastern Peru. First recognized as a species due to its distinct voice, it was only described in 1997; the binomial commemorates the American ornithologist Melvin Alvah Traylor Jr. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated the conservation status of this species as being of "least concern".
The stripe-throated hermit is a species of hummingbird from Central America and north-western South America. It is generally fairly common and considered Least Concern by BirdLife International.
The black-throated thrush is a passerine bird in the thrush family. It is sometimes regarded as one subspecies of a polytypic species, "dark-throated thrush", red-throated thrush then being the other subspecies. More recent treatments regard the two as separate species.