Melampitta

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Melampitta
Melampitta lugubris 3114199.jpg
Lesser melampitta (Melampitta lugubris)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Superfamily: Corvoidea
Family: Melampittidae
Schodde & Christidis, 2014
Genera

The melampittas are a family, Melampittidae, of New Guinean birds containing two enigmatic species. The two species are found in two genera, the greater melampitta in the genus Megalampitta and the lesser melampitta in the genus Melampitta. They are little studied and before being established as a family in 2014 their taxonomic relationships with other birds were uncertain, being considered at one time related variously to the pittas, Old World babblers and birds-of-paradise.

Contents

These are small to medium-sized birds with black plumage, strong legs and short, rounded wings. Mostly terrestrial, they live in montane forest. The greater melampitta has more specific habitat needs, roosting and nesting in limestone sinkholes. Insects and small vertebrates are taken from the forest leaf litter. Little is known about their breeding behaviour, with only the nests of the lesser melampitta having been seen by scientists. Both species are considered to be safe from extinction.

Taxonomy

The taxonomic placement of the melampittas was the source of long-standing confusion. Based on its superficial resemblance to the suboscine pittas (plump bodies, short tails and long legs), Hermann Schlegel placed the lesser melampitta within that family when he described that species in 1871. The name melampitta is derived from the Ancient Greek melas- for "black" with the genus name "Pitta". [1] As Ernst Mayr demonstrated that the structure of the syrinx was that of an oscine bird, [2] the genus was later moved to the Old World babblers (an infamous "taxonomic dustbin"), then with the jewel-babblers and whipbirds, which have been placed in both the Orthonychidae or the Eupetidae (but are now in their own family, Cinclosomatidae). [3] [4]

Based on the analysis of DNA–DNA hybridization data the genus was placed with the Paradisaeidae birds of paradise by Charles Sibley and Jon E. Ahlquist. [5] Frith and Frith felt these conclusions were not supported by aspects of the behaviour and biology (although they argued it may have been related to the recently split Cnemophilidae birds of paradise). [6] More recent studies have refuted the relationship with the whipbirds and jewel-babblers, [7] and instead consistently shown a relationship as the sister taxa to a group of families including the drongos, fantails, monarch flycatchers, Corcoracidae (the white-winged chough and apostlebird of Australia) and the birds of paradise again. [8] [3] The fact that the melampittas do not closely resemble these families (except the Corcoracidae and to a lesser extent the birds of paradise) may be due to adaptations to terrestrial living, compared to the other families which are mostly arboreal. Given the distinctiveness of the two melampittas it was suggested that the genus be placed its own family, and a new family, Melampittidae, was formally erected in 2014 by Richard Schodde and Leslie Christidis. [3]

While most researchers also accepted that the two species are congeneric (are both in the same genus), the two species do have a number of differences, particularly size, tail length and calls. In 2014, in the same paper that established the family, Schodde and Christidis moved the greater melampitta into its own genus Megalampitta. Although the name was created to invoke the Greek mega for large and Melampitta for the genus, the authors of the paper stated that, per the Code for Nomenclature, it should be treated a random collection of letters. The authors also noted that it is possible that the two species may be separated into two families in the future. [3]

The greater melampitta is monotypic, meaning it has no subspecies. The lesser melampitta has had three subspecies described, distinguished by slight differences in measurements, [9] so more recent treatments have also treated it as monotypic. [10] A study published in 2024 confirmed that the greater melampitta is indeed monotypic, with all birds forming a single population, even as they are highly dispersed. The lesser melampitta showed deep divisions between the three populations, leading the researchers to suggest that it may represent three different species. [11]

Distribution and habitat

The melampittas are found in the highlands of New Guinea Papua New Guinea (5986599443).jpg
The melampittas are found in the highlands of New Guinea

The melampittas are birds of the New Guinean rainforest and are generally montane species as well, with the range of the lesser melampitta reaching as high as 3,500 m (11,500 ft), with a usual range of around 2,000 to 2,800 m (6,600–9,200 ft), [4] where it is found in around watercourses and other damp areas. [6] The greater melampitta is restricted to areas of rugged limestone karst with sinkholes that it apparently roosts and even nests in. [12] In the Kumawa Mountains Jared Diamond found that that species inhabited a range of 650 to 1,400 m (2,130–4,590 ft). [13] Both species have a discontinuous distribution across New Guinea, with the valleys between the highland ranges creating sky islands. The greater melampitta in particular is seldom encountered by scientists because its karst habitat is rarely visited due to the difficult terrain. [14]

The distribution of the lesser melampitta is consistent with the usual pattern of evolution in birds in New Guinea, with older species of birds inhabiting the highlands which act as refugia, a phenomenon known as taxon cycles. The distribution of the greater melampitta is harder to explain, as it is also an ancient species, but is found at lower altitudes. The greater melampitta also has much more isolated populations, but lacks the genetic differentiation between these populations that their isolation and poor dispersal ability would imply. [11]

Description

Study skin of nominate race of lesser melampitta showing black plumage Naturalis Biodiversity Center - RMNH.AVES.146896 1 - Melampitta lugubris lugubris Schlegel, 1873 - Turdidae - bird skin specimen.jpeg
Study skin of nominate race of lesser melampitta showing black plumage

The two melampittas are small terrestrial birds that have black plumage and strong long legs and large strong feet. [4] The wings are short and rounded, and the primary feathers are uniquely recurved and emarginated. [3] The feathers of the forecrown are erectile. The lesser melampitta is around 18 cm (7.1 in) long and weighs around 30 g (1.1 oz) , whereas the greater melampitta is larger and considerably heavier at around 29 cm (11 in) in length and weighs 205 g (7.2 oz). The bill is black in both species, and that of the greater melampitta is also larger and more heavy than that of the lesser melampitta, and is hooked. [4] There is some variation in the family in the tails. The tail of the greater melampitta has specially strengthened remiges and retriges, which are often worn, a possible adaptation to its habit of roosting in limestone sinkholes. Those sinkholes are too deep and narrow to fly directly out and the tail may be used to help cling to the side of the hole as it exits, in the fashion of a woodpecker. [12] The tail of that species is long, whereas the tail of the lesser melampitta is short; in both species end of the tail is rounded. [3]

The plumage and general appearance of both sexes in both species are almost identical, with the only difference between sexes being the iris colour in the lesser melampitta, the male having a red iris and the female a brown one. [6] The plumage of adults in both species is black. The plumage of juvenile lesser melampittas is the same as adults except they are brown on the lower body. [3] Juvenile plumage of greater melampitta varies from that of adults in having russet backs and bellies. Several researchers have noted that this resembles the plumage of the hooded pitohui. Hooded pitohuis are unusual for birds in having a toxin, homobatrachotoxin, in their feathers and skin which can cause convulsions and death if consumed. [15] [16] The resemblance is probably an example of Batesian mimicry as the greater melampitta is not itself poisonous. [17]

Behaviour

The greater melampitta is reported to be very shy and wary, but also inquisitive and may approach people sitting quietly to investigate. It is usually revealed by its calls, and can be very difficult to locate if it is not calling. [18] The lesser melampitta is also described as hard to see but not shy. While hopping on the ground foraging it will frequently flutter its wings and lift its tail. [6] Both species move around on the ground by hopping. [19] [18]

Vocalisations

The calls of the two species are not similar. The call of the greater melampitta is a double or triple note, which is slurred and repeated monotonously, [3] and is reminiscent of the black pitohui. [13] The call of the lesser melampitta are either harsh buzzy notes or chirped whistles, both of which are repeated at intervals. [3]

Diet and feeding

The melampittas are insectivores, although in the case of the greater melampitta, this statement is inference as their diet isn't described. [10] All that is known is that it inhabits the ground and understory. [12] The lesser melampitta feeds on insects, including beetles and caterpillars, as well as worms, snails, small frogs and even small fruit. [6] It forages on the ground, probing through leaves by probing and flipping them with its bill. [4]

Breeding

The breeding behaviour of the melampittas is only known in any detail for the lesser melampitta. All that is known of the breeding of the greater melampitta are reports from local people that it builds a nest that is a basket of vines suspended in the limestone sinkholes that it roosts in. [12] There is also some evidence that it may be territorial. [18]

The lesser melampitta is known to start nesting in the dry season and continue into the beginning of the wet. The nest is a closed dome shape constructed out of live green moss. [4] This makes the melampittas the only bird family in the core Corvoidea that have domed nests instead of cup nests, having evolved from cup nesting ancestors, which is itself a reversal of that group's evolution from the assumed dom-nesting passerine ancestors. [20] The nest that has been described was found 2 m (6.6 ft) from the ground on the side of a tree fern, with nesting material woven into the bark and attached to dead fronds of the tree fern to secure it. [4] Both parents will approach their nest on foot, only flying up to the nest when directly below it, but on leaving they will fly 10 to 15 m (33–49 ft) before landing on the ground. The species has also been recording chasing grey-streaked honeyeaters away from their nests. The female lays a single chalky white and slightly speckled egg, which measures 27.7 mm to 30.2 mm × 22.6 mm to 23.9 mm (1.09 in–1.19 in × 0.89 in–0.94 in), and undertakes all the incubation duties. The incubation is quite long for a small passerine, lasting around 27 days, during which the male will feed the female. [6] Both sexes feed the single chick, which is hatched covered in downy feathers. Unlike their relatives in the birds of paradise family, which feed their chicks by regurgitation, the parents feed the chick whole food that has not been swallowed. The chick takes up to 35 days to fledge, a long time for passerines. [6]

Status

Neither species of melampitta are believed to be threatened with extinction. The greater melampitta is not generally common across New Guinea, but appears to be relatively common in its preferred habitat type when that habitat is studied. [14] During a camera-trapping study of ground birds undertaken in central New Guinea it was the second most commonly photographed species of bird after the New Guinea woodcock. [21] The lesser melampitta is less restricted in its habitat requirements and is common over a large area. [22] Because of this, and the fact that their habitat is not considered to be threatened and their populations are considered to be stable, both species are listed as least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. [14] [22]

References

  1. ↑ Jobling, J. A. (2017). Melampitta Key to Scientific Names in Ornithology. In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.) (2017). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from www.hbw.com on 21 May 2017).
  2. ↑ Mayr, Ernst (1931). "Die Syrinx einiger Singvögel aus Neu-Guinea" (PDF). Journal für Ornithologie (in German). 79 (3): 333–337. Bibcode:1931JOrn...79..333M. doi:10.1007/bf01953006. S2CID   26905688.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Schodde, R.; Christidis, L. (2014). "Relicts from Tertiary Australasia: undescribed families and subfamilies of songbirds (Passeriformes) and their zoogeographic signal". Zootaxa. 3786 (5): 501–522. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.3786.5.1 . PMID   24869551.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Boles, W. (2007) "Family Eupetidae (Jewel-babblers and allies) "in del Hoyo, J.; Elliot, A. & Christie D. (editors). (2007). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 12: Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees. Lynx Edicions. ISBN   978-84-96553-42-2
  5. ↑ Sibley; Ahlquist, J. (1987). "The Lesser Melampitta is a Bird of Paradise". Emu. 87 (1): 66–68. Bibcode:1987EmuAO..87...66S. doi:10.1071/mu9870066.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Firth, C.B.; Firth, D.W. (1990). "Nesting Biology and Relationships of the Lesser Melampitta Melampitta lugubris". Emu. 90 (2): 65–73. Bibcode:1990EmuAO..90...65F. doi:10.1071/MU9900065.
  7. ↑ Norman, Janette A.; Ericson, Per G.P.; Jønsson, Knud A.; Fjeldså, Jon; Christidis, Les (2009). "A multi-gene phylogeny reveals novel relationships for aberrant genera of Australo-Papuan core Corvoidea and polyphyly of the Pachycephalidae and Psophodidae (Aves: Passeriformes)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 52 (2): 488–497. Bibcode:2009MolPE..52..488N. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2009.03.019. PMID   19341806.
  8. ↑ Fjeldså, Jon (2013). "The global diversification of songbirds (Oscines) and the build-up of the Sino-Himalayan diversity hotspot" . Chinese Birds. 4 (2): 132–143. Bibcode:2013AvRes...4..132F. doi: 10.5122/cbirds.2013.0014 .
  9. ↑ Boles, W (2017). del Hoyo, Josep; Elliott, Andrew; Sargatal, Jordi; Christie, David A; de Juana, Eduardo (eds.). "Lesser Melampitta (Melampitta lugubris)" . Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. doi:10.2173/bow.lesmel1.01. S2CID   216346140 . Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  10. 1 2 Boles, W (2017). del Hoyo, Josep; Elliott, Andrew; Sargatal, Jordi; Christie, David A; de Juana, Eduardo (eds.). "Greater Melampitta (Megalampitta gigantea)" . Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. doi:10.2173/bow.gremel1.01. S2CID   216456870 . Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  11. 1 2 Müller, Ingo A.; Thörn, Filip; Rajan, Samyuktha; Ericson, Per G. P.; Dumbacher, John P.; Maiah, Gibson; Blom, Mozes P. K.; Jønsson, Knud A.; Irestedt, Martin (2024). "Species-specific dynamics may cause deviations from general biogeographical predictions – evidence from a population genomics study of a New Guinean endemic passerine bird family (Melampittidae)". PLOS ONE. 19 (5) e0293715. Bibcode:2024PLoSO..1993715M. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293715 . PMID   38781204.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Diamond, Jared M. (February 1983). "Melampitta gigantea: Possible Relation between Feather Structure and Underground Roosting Habits" (PDF). The Condor. 85 (1): 89–91. doi:10.2307/1367895. JSTOR   1367895.
  13. 1 2 Diamond, JM (1985). "New Distributional Records and Taxa from the Outlying Mountain Ranges of New Guinea". Emu. 85 (2): 65–91. Bibcode:1985EmuAO..85...65D. doi:10.1071/MU9850065.
  14. 1 2 3 BirdLife International (2016). "Megalampitta gigantea". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016 e.T22706088A94050207. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22706088A94050207.en . Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  15. ↑ Dumbacher, J.; Beehler, B.; Spande, T.; Garraffo, H.; Daly, J. (1992). "Homobatrachotoxin in the genus Pitohui: chemical defense in birds?". Science. 258 (5083): 799–801. Bibcode:1992Sci...258..799D. doi:10.1126/science.1439786. PMID   1439786.
  16. ↑ Rajchard, Josef (January 2009). "The batrachotoxins with a protective function in birds". Ethology Ecology & Evolution. 21 (1): 79–82. Bibcode:2009EtEcE..21...79R. doi:10.1080/08927014.2009.9522512. S2CID   84483584.
  17. ↑ Dumbacher, J; Deiner, K; Thompson, L; Fleischer, R (December 2008). "Phylogeny of the avian genus Pitohui and the evolution of toxicity in birds". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 49 (3): 774–781. Bibcode:2008MolPE..49..774D. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2008.09.018. PMID   18929671.
  18. 1 2 3 Gregory, Phil (1996). "Notes on the Greater Melampitta (Melampitta gigantea) in the Tabubil area" (PDF). Muruk. 8 (1): 36–37. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-03-14. Retrieved 2017-05-20.
  19. ↑ Clark, George A. (1975). "Additional Records of Passerine Terrestrial Gaits" (PDF). The Wilson Bulletin. 87 (3): 384–389.
  20. ↑ Price, J. Jordan; Griffith, Simon C. (2017). "Open cup nests evolved from roofed nests in the early passerines". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 284 (1848) 20162708. doi:10.1098/rspb.2016.2708.
  21. ↑ Woxvold, Iain A.; Legra, Leo (15 March 2019). "A population of Greater Ground Robin Amalocichla sclateriana (Petroicidae) from central New Guinea". Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club. 139 (1): 85. doi:10.25226/bboc.v139i1.2019.a8.
  22. 1 2 BirdLife International (2016). "Melampitta lugubris". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016 e.T22706085A94050044. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22706085A94050044.en . Retrieved 15 November 2021.
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