Pink-billed parrotfinch

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Pink-billed parrotfinch
AmblynuraKleinschmidtiSmit.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Estrildidae
Genus: Erythrura
Species:
E. kleinschmidti
Binomial name
Erythrura kleinschmidti
(Finsch, 1878)
Erythrura kleinschmidti map.jpg
   Resident year-round

The pink-billed parrotfinch (Erythrura kleinschmidti) is a species of estrildid finch found on the island of Viti Levu, Fiji. Commonly found at undisturbed mature forest in the centre and east of Viti Levu, e.g. Joske's Thumb near Suva. This species is found at mid-height along tree-trunks and branches, usually alone or in pairs but also joining mixed-species flocks, feeding primarily on insects, but also on flower buds and fruits.

Contents

Taxonomy

The parrotfinches are a genus of estrildid finches found in southeast Asia and Australasia. They are small birds with short rounded wings and tails. Most species have green bodies, and all but one have the red tail that gives the genus its scientific name Erythrura, [2] which is derived from the Ancient Greek ερυθρόςerythros, 'red', [3] and ουράoura, 'tail'. [4]

The pink-billed parrotfinch was initially described as Amblynura kleinschmidti by German naturalist Otto Finsch in 1878. The binomial name commemorates the German explorer and collector Theodor Kleinschmidt (1834–1881), who discovered the species on Viti Levu in 1877. [5]

Description

Pink-billed parrotfinch, Savura Creek, Viti Levu 1976.05.02 Pink-billed Parrot-Finch Savura Creek, Fiji 2755.jpg
Pink-billed parrotfinch, Savura Creek, Viti Levu

This is a large and robust parrotfinch, 11 centimetres (4.3 in) in length, with a long pale pink bill much larger than that of other parrotfinches. The adult has mainly olive-green plumage, but it has a black face, blue crown and nape, and the bright red rump typical of the genus. Its eyes are brown or reddish-brown, and the legs and feet are pink or brownish-pink. The sexes are alike. The juvenile is like the adult, although its plumage is; slightly duller, and it has a pale orange bill with a dark tip. The call is a typical parrotfinch high pitched tsee tsee or cheee cheee cheee. A series of clicks may also be heard. [6]

A related species, the Fiji parrotfinch, E. pealii, also occurs on Viti Levu. This locally common bird is smaller, and adults have a red head and a much smaller, dark bill. Immatures have a pale bill, but are brighter green than their larger relative. [6]

Distribution and habitat

The pink-billed parrotfinch is endemic to Fiji, thought to be only found in the wetter central and eastern parts of the largest island, Viti Levu but has also been observed on the Yasawa Islands to the north-west in 2012. This is a bird of undisturbed mature forest at any elevation, although it has been found to be common in one area of secondary forest, where it made a failed attempt to nest. It has disappeared from some previously occupied sites for reasons that are not known. [6]

Behaviour

This bird is usually found alone, in pairs or in small family groups, and is less gregarious than other parrotfinches. It is normally sedentary, but outside the breeding season it may join mixed-species foraging flocks. The only known nest was similar in shape to that of the Fiji parrotfinch, domed with a side entrance. It was constructed of dead leaves, including those of bamboo, small twigs and lichens. [2]

This finch feeds mainly on insects, foraging on tree trunks and vines, and using its large bill to lever open likely hiding places, probe dead leaves, and crush twigs and tree fern stems. It will strip bark in a search for scale insects. It will also take flower buds, berries and fruit, but is not the specialised fig-eater it was once thought to be. Although it feeds mostly in trees, it will forage on the ground. [2] [6]

Predators and parasites

The endemic Fiji goshawk is a specialist predator of small birds Fiji goshawk savusavu june 2008.JPG
The endemic Fiji goshawk is a specialist predator of small birds

The common endemic Fiji goshawk is a specialist predator of small and medium-sized birds, and the swamp harrier is also a widespread predator, often taking fledglings. The local subspecies of the peregrine falcon. Falco peregrinus nesiotes will hunt finches, but is itself rare and declining. [7] barn owls mainly eat rats, but sometimes take small birds. [8] Rats and mice use Fiji parrotfinch nests, and may be significant predators of the species. [6] The fan-tailed cuckoo, which has an endemic Fijian subspecies, is a brood parasite, but the parrotfinch does not appear to be a host of this large cuckoo. [9]

No specific parasites of the pink-billed parrotfinch have been recorded, but microsporidiosis and avian malaria, both spread by parasites, have been found in captive populations of other parrotfinch species. [10] [11]

Status

The pink-billed parrotfinch is thought to be endemic to the island of Viti Levu in its wetter central and eastern areas, but has also been observed on the Yasawa Islands to the north-west in 2012, showing a positive increase in its distribution. It is fairly widespread in mature forests, but appears always to have been rare. A survey of prime habitat found birds at eight out of thirteen sites, with a density based on very limited information of 2.8 birds per km2 (7.3 per mi2). Assuming 4,000 km2 (1,500 mi2) of suitable habitat gives an estimated population of 2,500 to 10,000 birds. [12]

Although the introduced mongoose has caused the decline in numbers of several ground-living birds on Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, the rarity of the pink-billed parrotfinch cannot be directly attributed to this or any other introduced vertebrate. [13] The relatively small population is believed to be declining due to continuing deforestation, half of the island's mature woodland having already been cleared for agriculture or planting with mahogany. The best site, Joske's Thumb, was lost in the 1980s. The small population on a single island, together with the expected ongoing decline mean that this species is it is therefore classed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. [1] [14]

The pink-billed parrotfinch is protected under Schedule 1 of Fiji's Endangered and Protected Species Act 2002, which regulates the import and trade of species that are threatened with extinction. [15]

It is being conserved in the protected watershed forest near Suva. It was proposed to find more suitable areas for pink-billed parrotfinch conservation, and preserve the watershed forest habitat near Suva in Appendix I, which lists all species which are or may be affected by trade.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Fiji</span>

Fiji is a group of volcanic islands in the South Pacific, lying about 4,450 kilometres (2,765 mi) southwest of Honolulu and 1,770 km (1,100 mi) north of New Zealand. Of the 332 islands and 522 smaller islets making up the archipelago, about 106 are permanently inhabited. The total land size is 18,272 km2 (7,055 sq mi). It has the 26th largest Exclusive Economic Zone of 1,282,978 km2 (495,361 sq mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Viti Levu</span> Largest island in Fiji

Viti Levu is the largest island in Fiji. It is the site of the country's capital and largest city, Suva, and home to a large majority of Fiji's population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kadavu Island</span> Island of Fiji

Kadavu, with an area of 411 square kilometres (159 sq mi), is the fourth largest island in Fiji, and the largest island in the Kadavu Group, a volcanic archipelago consisting of Kadavu, Ono, Galoa and a number of smaller islands in the Great Astrolabe Reef. Its main administrative centre is Vunisea, which has an airport, a high school, a hospital, and a government station, on the Namalata Isthmus where the island is almost cut in two. Suva, Fiji's capital, lies 88 kilometres to the north of Kadavu. The population of the island province was 10,167 at the most recent census in 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden dove</span> Species of bird

The golden dove, also known as the golden fruit dove, lemon dove or yellow dove, is a small, approximately 20 cm (8 in) long, short-tailed fruit-dove in the family Columbidae. The common name refers to the males' bright golden-yellow colour. The body feathers appear almost iridescent due to their elongated shape and hair-like texture. The head is slightly duller with a greenish tinge. The bill, orbital skin and legs are bluish-green and the iris is whitish. The underwings and tail coverts are yellow. The female is a dark green bird with bare parts resembling those of the male. The young resembles the female.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green-faced parrotfinch</span> Species of bird

The green-faced parrotfinch is a rare species of estrildid finch found in northern Philippines, on Luzon, Mindoro, Panay, Negros and Cebu islands. It is an elusive and nomadic bird with mostly green plummage with a bright red vent and tail, rarely seen but large flocks of up to 1,000 birds have been reported feeding on bamboo flowers. Its local name is mayang-kawayan in Tagalog which roughly translates to bamboo sparrow due to its association with bamboo flowering. It is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN and is threatened by habitat loss, deforestation and the illegal cage bird trade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue-faced parrotfinch</span> Species of bird

The blue-faced parrotfinch is a locally common species of estrildid finch found in north-eastern Australia, Japan, Indonesia, Federated States of Micronesia, France (introduced), New Caledonia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 10,000,000 km2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-eared parrotfinch</span> Species of bird

The red-eared parrotfinch is a species of estrildid finch endemic to Mindanao in the Philippines. It's known for its striking plumage of a green body, a blue face and the eponymous red-ear. It is found in tropical montane forest above 1,000 meters above sea level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Papuan parrotfinch</span> Species of bird

The Papuan parrotfinch is a common species of estrildid finch found in New Guinea. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 50,000 to 100,000 km2. There is some doubt as to whether this species and the blue-faced parrotfinch are conspecific.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-throated parrotfinch</span> Species of bird

The red-throated parrotfinch is a species of estrildid finch found in New Caledonia. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 20,000 to 50,000 km2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fiji parrotfinch</span> Species of bird in the family Estreldidae

The Fiji parrotfinch is a species of estrildid finch endemic to Fiji that was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the red-headed parrotfinch. This parrotfinch is a small, mainly green bird with a red head and tail and a stubby dark grey bill. It is found in both forested and open habitats, and has adapted well to man-made environments such as grasslands, pasture and gardens. Pairs have a courtship display in which they fly above the trees in an undulating flight, calling constantly. Breeding birds build a domed grass nest with a side entrance, and lay a clutch normally of four white eggs. Newly hatched chicks are naked and pink, with blue balls at the upper and lower corners of the gape, and black markings inside the mouth; older fledglings resemble the adults, but lack the red head colouring. The Fiji parrotfinch eats seeds, especially of grasses, and also readily feeds on insects and nectar. It forms small flocks of up to six birds after the breeding season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal parrotfinch</span> Species of bird

The royal parrotfinch is a species of estrildid finch endemic to Vanuatu in the South Pacific Ocean. It is found commonly at mid-altitudes on the larger islands such as Espiritu Santo, above 300 m., but it also can be found at small sea-level islands in fruiting figs in forest edge in Emae and Tongoa. This species is usually found in singles, pairs or small groups feeding on figs in the forest canopy. Clements has lumped this bird into the red-headed parrotfinch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Tomanivi</span> Volcanic mountain in Fiji

Mount Tomanivi, previously named Mount Victoria and also known as Tomaniivi, is an extinct volcano located in the northern highlands of Viti Levu. At 1,324 metres (4,344 ft), Mount Tomanivi is the highest mountain in Fiji. A trail leads to the summit of Tomanivi from the village of Navai. The main river systems, the Rewa, Navua, Sigatoka, and Ba, all have their headwaters in the central mountain area.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joske's Thumb</span> Volcanic plug near Suva, Fiji

Joske's Thumb is a precipitous volcanic plug that rises in the skyline to the west of Suva, Fiji. It is located 15 kilometers west of Suva and its base is accessible from Naikorokoro Road, which connects Naikorokoro Village to Queens Road. Other sources note that Naikorokoro Road, the road toward Joske's Thumb, intersects on the north side of Queens Road, 0.8 kilometres west of the Lami Bay Hotel outside Lami.

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Monuriki is a small, uninhabited island situated off the coast of Viti Levu in the Fiji Islands, in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean. Monuriki is part of the Atolls islands, and related to a group of three islets in the larger group of islands known as the Mamanuca Islands. This coral and volcanic island is the smallest islet and the southernmost of a small group of three islets, west of Tavua.

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References

  1. 1 2 BirdLife International (2016). "Erythrura kleinschmidti". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T22719739A94642218. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22719739A94642218.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Clements (1993) p.397
  3. ↑ Brookes (2006) p. 306
  4. ↑ Brookes (2006) p. 1058
  5. ↑ Finsch, Otto (1878). "On a new species of finch from the Feejee Islands (plate XXIX)". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London (Part 2): 440.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Watling (2003) pp. 167–168
  7. ↑ Watling (2003) pp. 108–110
  8. ↑ Watling (2003) p. 133
  9. ↑ Watling (2003) pp. 131–132
  10. ↑ Rose, Karrie (June 2005). "Common Diseases of Urban Wildlife: Birds" (PDF). The Australian Registry of Wildlife Health: 13. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-02-20.
  11. ↑ Gelis, S; Raidal, S R (2006). "Microsporidiosis in a flock of tricolor parrot finches (Erythrura tricolor)". Veterinary Clinics of North America. Exotic Animal Practice. 9 (3): 481–486. doi:10.1016/j.cvex.2006.05.032. PMID   16931363.
  12. ↑ "BirdLife International Species factsheet: Erythrura kleinschmidti". BirdLife International. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
  13. ↑ Pernetia, John C; Watling, Dick (1978). "The introduced and native terrestrial vertebrates of Fiji". Pacific Science. 32 (3): 223–244.
  14. ↑ Watling (2003) p. 22
  15. ↑ Fiji Islands Endangered and Protected Species Act 2002 Archived 2011-07-20 at the Wayback Machine , Parliament of the Fiji Islands, Schedule 1

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