Saturday, March 31, 2012

>Sericornis virgatus (Perplexing Scrubwren)

Perplexing Scrubwren




Perplexing Scrubwren
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order:Passeriformes
Family:Acanthizidae
Genus:Sericornis
Species:S. virgatus
Binomial name
Sericornis virgatus
(Reichenow, 1915)
The Perplexing Scrubwren (Sericornis virgatus) is a bird species. Placed in the familyPardalotidae in the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, this has met with opposition and indeed is now known to be wrong; they rather belong to the independent family Acanthizidae.
It is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

>Sericornis spilodera (Pale-billed Scrubwren)

Pale-billed Scrubwren


Pale-billed Scrubwren
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order:Passeriformes
Family:Acanthizidae
Genus:Sericornis
Species:S. spilodera
Binomial name
Sericornis spilodera
(Gray, 1859)
The Pale-billed Scrubwren (Sericornis spilodera) is a bird species. Placed in the familyPardalotidae in the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, this has met with opposition and indeed is now known to be wrong; they rather belong to the independent family Acanthizidae.
It is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

>Sericornis rufescens (Vogelkop Scrubwren)

Vogelkop Scrubwren

Vogelkop Scrubwren (Sericornis rufescens)


Vogelkop Scrubwren
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order:Passeriformes
Family:Acanthizidae
Genus:Sericornis
Species:S. rufescens
Binomial name
Sericornis rufescens
(Salvadori, 1876)
The Vogelkop Scrubwren (Sericornis rufescens) is a bird species. Placed in the familyPardalotidae in the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, this has met with opposition and indeed is now known to be wrong; they rather belong to the independent family Acanthizidae.
It is endemic to West PapuaIndonesia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

>Sericornis perspicillatus (Buff-faced Scrubwren)

Buff-faced Scrubwren



Buff-faced Scrubwren
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order:Passeriformes
Family:Acanthizidae
Genus:Sericornis
Species:S. perspicillatus
Binomial name
Sericornis perspicillatus
Salvadori, 1896
The Buff-faced Scrubwren (Sericornis perspicillatus) is a bird species. Placed in the familyPardalotidae in the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, this has met with opposition and indeed is now known to be wrong; they rather belong to the independent family Acanthizidae.
It is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moistmontane forests.

>Sericornis papuensis (Papuan Scrubwren)

Papuan Scrubwren



Papuan Scrubwren
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order:Passeriformes
Family:Acanthizidae
Genus:Sericornis
Species:S. papuensis
Binomial name
Sericornis papuensis
(De Vis, 1894)
The Papuan Scrubwren (Sericornis papuensis) is a bird species. Placed in the familyPardalotidae in the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, this has met with opposition and indeed is now known to be wrong; they rather belong to the independent family Acanthizidae.
It is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moistmontane forests.

>Sericornis nouhuysi (Large Scrubwren)

Large Scrubwren



Large Scrubwren
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order:Passeriformes
Family:Acanthizidae
Genus:Sericornis
Species:S. nouhuysi
Binomial name
Sericornis nouhuysi
van Oort, 1909
The Large Scrubwren (Sericornis nouhuysi) is a bird species. Placed in the family Pardalotidaein the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, this has met with opposition and indeed is now known to be wrong; they rather belong to the independent family Acanthizidae.
It is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moistmontane forests.

>Sericornis magnirostris (Large-billed Scrubwren)

Large-billed Scrubwren

Large-billed Scrubwren
The Scrubwrens by Neville William Cayley, including S. magnirostris on the top left.
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order:Passeriformes
Family:Acanthizidae
Genus:Sericornis
Species:S. magnirostra
Binomial name
Sericornis magnirostra
(Gould, 1838)
Synonyms
Sericornis magnirostris
The Large-billed Scrubwren (Sericornis magnirostra) is a bird species. Placed in the familyPardalotidae in the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, this has met with opposition and indeed is now known to be wrong; they rather belong to the independent family Acanthizidae.
Described by ornithologist John Gould in 1838, it is endemic to Australia. It is found in denser undergrowth in temperate forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

Friday, March 30, 2012

>Sericornis keri (Atherton Scrubwren)

Atherton Scrubwren


Atherton Scrubwren
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order:Passeriformes
Family:Acanthizidae
Genus:Sericornis
Species:S. keri
Binomial name
Sericornis keri
Mathews, 1920
The Atherton Scrubwren (Sericornis keri) is a bird species. Placed in the family Pardalotidae in the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, this has met with opposition and indeed is now known to be wrong; they rather belong to the independent family Acanthizidae.
It is endemic to Australia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

>Sericornis humilis (Tasmanian Scrubwren)

Tasmanian Scrubwren


Tasmanian Scrubwren
In Tasmania
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order:Passeriformes
Family:Acanthizidae
Genus:Sericornis
Species:S. humilis
Binomial name
Sericornis humilis
Gould, 1838
The Tasmanian Scrubwren or Brown Scrubwren (Sericornis humilis) is a bird species. Placed in the family Pardalotidae in the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, this has met with opposition and indeed is now known to be wrong; they rather belong to the independent family Acanthizidae. It is alternately considered a subspecies of the smaller White-browed Scrubwren,and further research is needed to understand the relationships between the two species.

The Scrubwrens by Neville William Cayley, including S. humilis on the right.
It is endemic to the temperate forests of Tasmania and nearby King Island. It lives in the understory of rainforest, woodland, dry forest, swamps and coastal scrublands.

>Sericornis frontalis (White-browed Scrubwren)

White-browed Scrubwren


White-browed Scrubwren
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order:Passeriformes
Family:Acanthizidae
Genus:Sericornis
Species:S. frontalis
Binomial name
Sericornis frontalis
(Vigors & Horsfield, 1827)
The White-browed Scrubwren (Sericornis frontalis) is a passerine bird found in coastal areas of Australia. Placed in the family Pardalotidae in the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, this has met with opposition and indeed is now known to be wrong; they rather belong to the independent family Acanthizidae.
It is insectivorous and inhabits undergrowth, from which it rarely ventures, though can be found close to urban areas. It is 11–14 cm (5-6 in) long and predominantly brown in colour with prominent white brows and pale eyes, though the three individual subspecies vary widely. Found in small groups, it is sedentary and engages in cooperative breeding. The largerTasmanian Scrubwren is sometimes considered a subspecies of this species.

Taxonomy

The White-browed Scrubwren was originally described by naturalists Nicholas Aylward Vigorsand Thomas Horsfield in 1827. The specific epithet frontalis derived from the Latin frons"eyebrow". It is now divided into three subspecies:
  • S. f. frontalis, known as the White-browed Scrubwren, is found in coastal eastern Australia from the New South Wales-Queensland border round to Adelaide in South Australia.
  • S. f. laevigaster, known as the Buff-breasted Scrubwren, is found in coastal Queensland from the New South Wales border north to the Atherton Tableland.
  • S. f. maculatus, known as the Spotted Scrubwren, occurs in coastal southern Australia, from Kangaroo Island and Adelaide westwards to Shark Bay in Western Australia. It is known to intergrade with the nominate subspecies where their ranges overlap.

The Scrubwrens by Neville William Cayley, including S. humilis on the right.
S. humilis, the Tasmanian Scrubwren, is found in Tasmania and Bass Strait islands and sometimes considered a subspecies of the White-browed Scrubwren. It is larger at 13.5 cm long and lays larger eggs.

Description

Mainland birds measure 11.5 cm (4½ in) in length and olive brown upperparts (greyish brown in the spotted subspecies and dark brown in Tasmania), with prominent pale irises and a white brow. The throat is white with faint streaks in the subspecies frontalis and laevigaster and heavily spotted in maculatus. Ear coverts are grey in frontalis and black in laevigaster, and brownish in the other two subspecies. The underparts are pale, though buff in laevigaster. The thin bill is black. The Females are duller overall and generally have pale gray lores, whereas males have blackish lores. This allows most individuals to be reliably sexed in the field. The call is a loud high-pitched ts-cheer.

Distribution and habitat

The species favours forested or scrubby areas with plentiful undergrowth, from which it rarely ventures. It is a common bird in bushland areas around Sydney. It is sedentary.

Behaviour


female of race frontalis calling
Scrubwrens are predominantly insectivorous. They can be hard to spot but are very vocal and easy to localise. They occur in small groups of up to six birds and engage in cooperative breeding; namely that group members all help to feed and rear the young.

Reproduction

Breeding season is June or July to November or December, with the nest a domelike structure of dried grasses and leaves, sticks, bark and ferns and feathers for lining. It is placed near or on the ground in dense cover. A clutch of two or three 20 x 15 mm eggs is laid; they vary from brownish-violet to brownish-white in colour with darker spots or blotches. The Tasmanian Scrubwren lays larger eggs some 23 x 17 mm in dimensions.

>Sericornis citreogularis (Yellow-throated Scrubwren)

Yellow-throated Scrubwren


Yellow-throated Scrubwren
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order:Passeriformes
Family:Acanthizidae
Genus:Sericornis
Species:S. citreogularis
Binomial name
Sericornis citreogularis
(Gould, 1838)
The Yellow-throated Scrubwren (Sericornis citreogularis) is a passerine bird found in parts of eastern coastal Australia. Placed in the family Pardalotidae in the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, this has met with opposition and indeed is now known to be wrong; they rather belong to the independent family Acanthizidae.
A small ground-dwelling bird that inhabits wet forest or rainforest, it is insectivorous. The bird has a distinctive yellow throat and eybrow. The male face is black and the female brown. The crown and upperparts are dark- to olive-brown, and the underparts cream, white or washed-out olive. The wings are dark brown and edged with yellow. Breeding twice or more in a long breeding season, it nests in large suspended pear-shaped structures. Often over water, they resemble flood debris which they are often placed nearby. These nests are the preferred roosts of the Golden-tipped Bat (Phoniscus papuensis).

Taxonomy

The Yellow-throated Scrubwren was originally described by ornithologist John Gould in 1838.The specific epithet citreogularis derived from the Latin terms cǐtreus "pertaining to citrus" and gǔla "throat", hence "yellow throated". The northern subspecies cairnsii was described by amateur ornithologist Gregory Mathews in 1912.

Description


The Scrubwrens by Neville William Cayley, including the Yellow-throated Scrubwrens on the bottom left.
The Yellow-throated Scrubwren measures 12.5–15 cm (5-6 in) in length. The male bird has a black masked face and ear coverts, with yellow throat and eyebrow. The iris is reddish and upperparts brownish and underparts paler. The wing primaries are yellow and relatively long legs pinkish or cream. The female has a brownish face. Calls include a loud harsh chatter, and a lively song, the latter can be a response to a loud noise such as a car door slamming.

Distribution and habitat

The species is found in two disjunct distributions; in coastal north Queensland from Cooktown toTownsville, and from Hervey Bay in southern coastal Queensland south through to southeasternNew South Wales. The usual habitat is rainforest gullies, generally with streams nearby. In theSydney Basin this may be the Illawarra escarpment, and wetter places in the Dharug- and Royal National Parks.
Insectivorous, they feed at ground level, unlike the related Large-billed Scrubwren (S. magnirostris) which lives in the same wet forest habitat but forages higher in the leaf layer and on branches.

Reproduction

Breeding season can extend from June to March, with two or more broods laid in a season. The nest is a large structure of long pieces of dried grasses and leaves, sticks, palm fibre, bark, and ferns and feathers for lining. Pear-shaped, it hangs above the ground or water, suspended from a vine or branch. It may be mistaken for flood debris and is often constructed near it. A clutch of two or three tapered oval 26 x 18 mm eggs is laid; they vary from brownish-purple to pale brownish-white with darker spots or blotches. There is a cap of darker colour at the large end of the eggs.
The nest may be expanded in subsequent years by the birds adding an extra chamber onto it. They also appear to be the preferred daytime roosting sites of the Golden-tipped Bat (Phoniscus papuensis).