Talaud bush-hen | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Gruiformes |
Family: | Rallidae |
Genus: | Amaurornis |
Species: | A. magnirostris |
Binomial name | |
Amaurornis magnirostris Lambert, 1998 | |
The Talaud bush-hen (Amaurornis magnirostris) is a vulnerable waterbird in the rail and crake family.
It is a recently described species from Karakelang Island in the Talaud Islands, Indonesia. It occurs in forest, scrub, and overgrown plantations.
Talaud bush-hen is a 30.5 cm long, large, very dark and robust bush-hen. Its large head and its upperparts are dark brown, its underparts and flanks are very dark bluish grey. The large, thick bill is pale green, and the legs are yellow, becoming more olive at the rear.
The only confirmed call of this shy species is a series of loud, low-pitched croaking barks, but it is likely that it also makes the shrieks typical of bush-hens.
The population is estimated at 2,350-9,560 individuals on Karakelang. It may also occur on neighbouring islands, but there is little forest on those, less than 20 km2 compared to 350 km2 on Karakelang.
There are two protected areas totalling 21,800 hectares, but there has been no management and these areas are threatened by agricultural encroachment, illegal logging, and fire. Trapping for food and introduced rats may also pose a threat.
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The short-tailed Talaud mosaic-tailed rat or the short-tailed Talaud melomys is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is endemic to Karakelong and Salebabu in the Talaud Islands in Indonesia where it occurs in forest habitats. The long-tailed Talaud mosaic-tailed rat is also present on the islands and the shorter tail of this species means that it is likely to be mainly terrestrial whereas M. talaudium is largely arboreal.
The long-tailed Talaud mosaic-tailed rat or the long-tailed Talaud melomys is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is endemic to Karakelong and Salebabu in the Talaud Islands in Indonesia where it occurs in forest habitats. It is morphologically similar to the white-bellied mosaic-tailed rat and was at one time considered to be a subspecies but is now recognised as a distinct species. The short-tailed mosaic-tailed rat is also present on the islands and the shorter tail of that species means that it is likely to be mainly terrestrial whereas M. talaudium is largely arboreal.