Spot-flanked gallinule | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Gruiformes |
Family: | Rallidae |
Genus: | Porphyriops Pucheran, 1845 |
Species: | P. melanops |
Binomial name | |
Porphyriops melanops (Vieillot, 1819) | |
Synonyms | |
Gallinula melanops |
The spot-flanked gallinule (Porphyriops melanops) is a species of bird in the family Rallidae. It is monotypic in the genus Porphyriops. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay. Its natural habitats are swamps and freshwater lakes, but it is able to survive in properly managed artificial ponds. [2] Its population has declined significantly in recent decades. [2]
The spot-flanked gallinule has a W chromosome that is larger than its Z chromosome, which is unique among bird species. [3]
The spot-flanked gallinule weighs between 154 and 225 grams, with an average length of 28 cm, often described as a small waterfowl-like bird. [4] [5] Its head, chin, neck and breast feathers are a slate gray, contrasting with the black forehead and crown, extending to the top of the nape. [4] Its covert feathers are a brown, cocoa-like, color while primary feathers tend to have a slight color contrast and are a darker shade of brown. [4] As the name suggests, the flanks of this species is brown with white mottling with its rump a mix of the same shades of brown and white. [4] Juveniles do not have any contrasting plumage and are typically entirely black before developing brown feathers followed by the other distinctive mature features. [4] Most noticeably, the spot-flanked gallinule is often called the Green-Billed Tingua in Spanish due to its pale green beak which develops as it ages from a black and pink juvenile beak. [4] [5] Its legs are a drab green-gray color and are rarely visible as it spends a majority of its time in the water. Its iris changes from black as juvenile, to different shades of brown to its eventual, mature, vibrant red color. [4]
Order Gruiformes is one of the many taxonomic classifications that possesses very little chromosomal information; of its 189 species, only 30 have had their chromosomes studied. [6]
The spot-flanked gallinule is currently, and commonly, classified as a member of the family Rallidae, genus Porphyriops, however, it possesses a unique set of chromosomes, making it different from other Rallidae members with a W chromosome that is larger than its Z chromosome. [3] [6] Previous research dictated that this difference meant it belonged in Genus Porphyrio but recent research on chromosomal data has shown very few similarities to P. porphyrio and instead, closely related to Gallinula chloropus , describing the spot-flanked gallinule into Genus Gallinula. [6] Its binomial nomenclature remains as Porphyriops melanops until further research is made. [6]
The spot-flanked gallinule currently has three confirmed subspecies, two of which are often referred to as P. melanops as they inhabit connected territories across South America while the third subspecies is isolated in small populations within Colombia. [5]
P.m. crassirostrus gets its name from 'crassus' ,meaning thick or heavy, and 'rostris', meaning 'billed', its name translates to 'thick billed' to describe its thicker bill than the nominate P.m. melanops subspecies. [7]
P.m. bogotensis is named after its population range being found within Bogotá, Colombia. [7]
Preferred habitats included both natural and artificial zones, with a strong preference for ornamental lakes, artificial ponds and natural wetlands. P. melanops can also be found within microhabitats with emergent vegetation or grassy parks. [5]
The spot-flanked gallinule has a general distribution across South America although larger populations can be found within Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. [5] [8] Its more distinct subspecies, P. m. bogotensis, can be found within Colombia, isolated from the other P. melanops breeding populations. [5]
The spot-flanked gallinule can produce a variety of sounds at different pitches which often differs depending on locale, sounding as if it is cackling, making a ke-ke-ke-ke like sound. [9] Its alternative call is quick clicking sound. [9]
Its song includes the high pitched ke-ke-ke-ke cackling sound along with a low pitch whooping sound. [9]
The spot-flanked gallinule has an omnivorous diet, it feeds on plants, such as Polygonum acuminatum and horsetail paspalum ( Paspalum repens ) due to their abundance within wetlands but has also been found to consume animals, specifically snails (family Planorbidae), and a small range of insects. [10] They feed while swimming and often forage for food among floating or rooted aquatic vegetation. [10] Some studies observed that the populations in Colombia had diets containing insects, snails and seeds, while feeding on completely different plant species than the other populations found in South America. [2] These gallinules may also display a preference for certain food types depending on the availability of different food resources but favor Leptospermum laevigatum and sesame seeds. [2]
Both males and females partake in the construction and caring of the nest, with only one breeding pair found per body of water. [4] Nests are typically constructed using branches, fresh and dried leaves, and occasionally feathers. [4] They are built in close proximity to the water's edge, or occasionally above the water; they are sheltered and hidden by the dense surrounding vegetation. [4] Nests can support, on average, between three and six oval-shaped eggs which are cream-colored and flecked with dark brown mottling towards the bottom of the egg. [4] [11] Both parents incubate the eggs in shifts and will often call out to the current incubating parent that it was time to switch by emitting a cackling-like sound. The spot flanked gallinule parents will continue this routine for the 18–20 days it takes to incubate the eggs. The developed chicks will be fed and protected by the parents for the next 50 days but they have full swimming and diving capabilities within a few hours of hatching. [4]
Rails are a large, cosmopolitan family of small- to medium-sized terrestrial and/or semi-amphibious birds. The family exhibits considerable diversity in its forms, and includes such ubiquitous species as the crakes, coots, and gallinule; other rail species are extremely rare or endangered. Many are associated with wetland habitats, some being semi-aquatic like waterfowl, but many more are wading birds or shorebirds. The ideal rail habitats are marsh areas, including rice paddies, and flooded fields or open forest. They are especially fond of dense vegetation for nesting. The rail family is found in every terrestrial habitat with the exception of dry desert, polar or freezing regions, and alpine areas. Members of Rallidae occur on every continent except Antarctica. Numerous unique island species are known.
The common moorhen, also known as the waterhen or swamp chicken, is a bird species in the rail family (Rallidae). It is distributed across many parts of the Old World.
The common gallinule is a bird in the family Rallidae. It was split from the common moorhen by the American Ornithologists' Union in July 2011. It lives around well-vegetated marshes, ponds, canals, and other wetlands in the Americas. The species is not found in the polar regions or many tropical rainforests. Elsewhere, the common gallinule is likely the most commonly seen rail species in much of North America, except for the American coot in some regions.
The spotted crake is a small waterbird of the family Rallidae. The scientific name is derived from Venetian terms for small rails.
The purple gallinule is a swamphen in the genus Porphyrio. It is in the order Gruiformes, meaning "crane-like", an order which also contains cranes, rails, and crakes. The purple gallinule is a rail species, placing it into the family Rallidae. It is also known locally as the yellow-legged gallinule. The specific name martinica denotes "of Martinique".
Moorhens—sometimes called marsh hens—are medium-sized water birds that are members of the rail family (Rallidae). Most species are placed in the genus Gallinula, Latin for "little hen". They are close relatives of coots. They are often referred to as (black) gallinules. Recently, one of the species of Gallinula was found to have enough differences to form a new genus Paragallinula with the only species being the lesser moorhen.
Porzana is a genus of birds in the crake and rail family, Rallidae. Its scientific name is derived from Venetian terms for small rails. The spotted crake is the type species.
The grey-cowled wood rail or grey-necked wood rail is a species of bird in the family Rallidae, the rails. It lives primarily in the forests, mangroves, and swamps of Central and South America. Of the two subspecies, A. c. avicenniae is found in southeastern Brazil, while the nominate is found throughout the portion of the range not occupied by the other subspecies. The species as a whole is usually found at elevations from sea level to 2,000 metres (6,600 ft), although some have been found above that. This bird's large extent of occurrence along with its population is why it is considered to be least-concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In some places, it is occasionally hunted and kept for food.
The speckled rail, also called speckled crake, is a species of bird in subfamily Rallinae of family Rallidae, the rails, gallinules, and coots. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, Guyana, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
The Andean coot, also known as the slate-colored coot, is a species of bird in subfamily Rallinae of family Rallidae, the rails, gallinules, and coots. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
The red-gartered coot is a species of bird in subfamily Rallinae of family Rallidae, the rails, gallinules, and coots. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
The white-winged coot is a species of bird in subfamily Rallinae of family Rallidae, the rails, gallinules, and coots. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay, and the Falkland Islands.
The red-fronted coot is a species of bird in subfamily Rallinae of family Rallidae, the rails, gallinules, and coots. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay.
The lesser moorhen is a species of bird in the family Rallidae. It is sometimes placed into the genus Gallinula. It is the only member of the genus Paragallinula.
The rufous-sided crake is a species of bird in subfamily Rallinae of family Rallidae, the rails, gallinules, and coots. It is found in every mainland South American country except Chile.
The austral rail is a Vulnerable species of bird in subfamily Rallinae of family Rallidae, the rails, gallinules, and coots. It is found in Argentina and Chile.
The Bogotá rail is a Vulnerable species of bird in subfamily Rallinae of family Rallidae, the rails, gallinules, and coots. It is endemic to Colombia. The bird is a typical medium-sized rail with a plump body that is laterally compressed, a short tail and an elongated bill.
The wren-like rushbird is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay.
Tibanica is a wetland, part of the Wetlands of Bogotá, located on the border of the locality Bosa, Bogotá and Soacha, Cundinamarca, Colombia. The wetland on the Bogotá savanna covers an area of about 28.8 hectares. Tibanica is located in the Tunjuelo River basin.
Meandro del Say is a wetland, part of the wetlands of Bogotá. It spans the locality Fontibón of Bogotá and the eastern part of Mosquera, Cundinamarca. Meandro del Say is located close to the Bogotá River with a total area of 13.6 hectares. The Avenida Centenario borders the wetland in the northeast. Meandro de Say is situated in the Fucha River basin.