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Pachycephalidae

(Family)

Overview

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The family Pachycephalidae, collectively the whistlers, includes the whistlers, shrike-thrushes, shrike-tits, pitohuis and Crested Bellbird, and is part of the ancient Australo-Papuan radiation of songbirds. Its members range from small to medium in size, and occupy most of Australasia. Australia and New Guinea are the centre of their diversity, with species and genera also reaching New Zealand, and in the case of the whistlers, the South Pacific islands as far as Tonga and Samoa and parts of Asia as far as India. The exact delimitation of boundaries of the family are uncertain, for example the genus Mohoua, which is endemic to New Zealand has been placed with the family based on a number of morphological features and DNA-DNA hybridization studies, but the placement is still controversial.1]

Habitat

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The whistlers are birds of forests and wooded areas. Most species inhabit rainforest, particularly in the Asian and Papuan parts of their range, but Australian species inhabit a wider range of habitats including woodlands, arid scrubland and mangrove forests. Some species are restricted to a particular ecosystem, whereas others are more catholic and will inhabit a range of habitat types.

Description

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The whistlers are stout birds with strong bills, and the group was once known as the thickheads due to the large rounded heads of many species. Their plumage is rufous, brown, or grey in the majority of species. Nevertheless a few species, particularly the Golden Whistler and its close relatives, have bright plumage. One of the more unusual traits of this family is found in the feathers of some of the pitohuis, which have toxins.[2] These toxins are probably a deterrent to parasites and may also serve to dissuade predators from t aking the birds.

Behaviour

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They are insectivorous, picking insects off leaves, branches, or leaf litter. While insects make up the majority of the diet they will also feed on spiders, worms, centipedes, snails, and small crabs; larger species will also tackle small vertebrates such as frogs, geckos and baby birds. They are generally sedate foragers and do not engage in hawking to obtain prey, instead being gleaners and probers. Only a few species migrate, most remaining resident in their tropical environment.[3]

Little is known about the breeding biology of most of the family; what is known generally comes from a small number of Australian species and the three New Zealand Mohoua species. They are monogamous and generally nest as simple pairs, although breeding groups have been recorded in some species.

Several species belonging to this fami ly are outstanding songsters: the whistlers produce an astonishing volume for their size, and the lyrebirds aside, the Grey Shrike-thrush is often regarded as the finest, most inventive songbird of them all.[citation needed]

Systematics

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FAMILY: PACHYCEPHALIDAE

*Although traditionally included in this family, recent genetic evidence suggests that the Yellow-flanked Whistler, also known as the Olive-flanked Whistler, actually should be placed in a monotypic subfamily of the family Bombycillidae.[4]

p>The whistlers are stout birds with strong bills, and the group was once known as the thickheads due to the large rounded heads of many species. Their plumage is rufous, brown, or grey in the majority of species. Nevertheless a few species, particularly the Golden Whistler and its close relatives, have bright plumage. One of the more unusual traits of this family is found in the feathers of some of the pitohuis, which have toxins.[2] These toxins are probably a deterrent to parasites and may also serve to dissuade predators from taking the birds.

Behaviour

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They are insectivorous, picking insects off leaves, branches, or leaf litter. While insects make up the majority of the diet they will also feed on spiders, worms, centipedes, snails, and small crabs; larger species will also tackle small vertebrates such as frogs, geckos and baby birds. They are generally sedate foragers and do not engage in hawking to obtain prey, instead being gleaners and probers. Only a few species migrate, most remaining resident in their tropical environment.[3]

Little is kn own about the breeding biology of most of the family; what is known generally comes from a small number of Australian species and the three New Zealand Mohoua species. They are monogamous and generally nest as simple pairs, although breeding groups have been recorded in some species.

Several species belonging to this family are outstanding songsters: the whistlers produce an astonishing volume for their size, and the lyrebirds aside, the Grey Shrike-thrush is often regarded as the finest, most inventive songbird of them all.[citation needed]

Systematics

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FAMILY: PACHYCEPHALIDAE

*Although traditionally included in this family, recent genetic evidence suggests that the Yellow-flanked Whistler, also known as the Olive-flanked Whistler, actually should be placed in a monotypic subfamily of the family Bombycillidae.[4]

References

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  1. ^ Boles, W. E. (2007). Family Pachycephalidae (Whistlers) pp. 374-437 in: Del Hoyo, J.; Elliot, A., & Christie, D. eds. (2007). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 12. Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. ISBN 978-84-96553-42-2
  2. ^ Dumbacher JP, Beehler BM, Spande TF, Garraffo HM, Daly JW (1992). "Homobatrachotoxin in the genus Pitohui: chemical defense in birds?". Science 258 (5083): 799?801. doi:10.1126/science.1439786. PMID 1439786. 
  3. ^ Garnett, Stephen (1991). Forshaw, Joseph. ed. Encyclopaedia of Animals: Birds. London: Merehurst Press. pp. 201. ISBN 1-85391-186-0. 
  4. ^ Spellman, G. M., A. Cibois, R. G. Moyle, K. Winker, and F. K. Barker. 2008. Clarifying the systematics of an enigmatic avian lineage: What is a Bombycillid? Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 49(3): 1036-1040

External links

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Taxonomy

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The Family Pachycephalidae is a member of the Superfamily Corvoidea. Here is the complete "parentage" of Pachycephalidae:

The Family Pachycephalidae is further organized into finer groupings including:

Genera

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Aleadryas

The Rufous-naped Whistler (Aleadryas rufinucha) is a species of bird in the Pachycephalidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Aleadryas.[] It is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. [more]

Coracornis

The Maroon-backed Whistler (Coracornis raveni) is a species of bird in the Pachycephalidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Coracornis.[] It is endemic to Indonesia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. [more]

Hylocitrea

The Hylocitrea (Hylocitrea bonensis), also known as the Yellow-flanked Whistler or Olive-flanked Whistler, is a species of bird that is endemic to montane forests on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. It is monotypic within the genus Hylocitrea, and has traditionally been considered a member of the family Pachycephalidae, but recent genetic evidence suggests it should be placed in a monotypic subfamily of the family Bombycillidae, or even its own family, Hylocitreidae. [more]

Hyloterpe

[more]

Pachycare

The Goldenface (Pachycare flavogriseum) is a species of passerine bird endemic to New Guinea. It is the only species (monotypic) within the genus Pachycare. [more]

Pachycephala

Pachycephala is a genus of birds native to Oceania and Southeast Asia. They are commonly known as typical whistlers. Older guidebooks may refer to them as thickheads, a literal translation of the generic name, which is derived from the Ancient Greek terms pachys "thick" + kephale "head". [more]

Rhagologus

The Mottled Whistler (Rhagologus leucostigma) is a species of bird in the Pachycephalidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Rhagologus.[] It is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. [more]

At least 4 species and subspecies belong to the Genus Rhagologus.

More info about the Genus Rhagologus may be found here.

References

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  1. ^ Boles, W. E. (2007). Family Pachycephalidae (Whistlers) pp. 374-437 in: Del Hoyo, J.; Elliot, A., & Christie, D. eds. (2007). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 12. Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. ISBN 978-84-96553-42-2
  2. ^ Dumbacher JP, Beehler BM, Spande TF, Garraffo HM, Daly JW (1992). "Homobatrachotoxin in the genus Pitohui: chemical defense in birds?". Science 258 (5083): 799?801. doi:10.1126/science.1439786. PMID 1439786. 
  3. ^ Garnett, Stephen (1991). Forshaw, Joseph. ed. Encyclopaedia of Animals: Birds. London: Merehurst Press. pp. 201. IS BN 1-85391-186-0. 
  4. ^ Spellman, G. M., A. Cibois, R. G. Moyle, K. Winker, and F. K. Barker. 2008. Clarifying the systematics of an enigmatic avian lineage: What is a Bombycillid? Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 49(3): 1036-1040

Sources

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Last Revised: August 24, 2012
2012/08/24 13:38:49