Sahul sunbird

Sahul sunbird
Male above, female below
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Nectariniidae
Genus: Cinnyris
Species:
C. frenatus
Binomial name
Cinnyris frenatus
(Müller, S, 1843)

The Sahul sunbird (Cinnyris frenatus) is a species of bird in the sunbird family Nectariniidae that is endemic to Sulawesi eastwards to New Guinea and the Soloman Islands. It is also found in northeast Australia. It was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the olive-backed sunbird, now renamed the garden sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis).

Taxonomy

The Sahul sunbird was formally described in 1843 by the German naturalist Salomon Müller based on a specimen collected on the west coast of New Guinea. He coined the binomial name Nectarinia frenata.[1][2] The specific epithet frenatus is Latin meaning "bridled".[3] The species was subsequently moved to the genus Cinnyris that had been introduced in 1816 by the French naturalist Georges Cuvier. The Sahul sunbird was formerly considered as a subspecies of the olive-backed sunbird (now the garden sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis) but is now treated as a separate species based on the differences in plumage and the mitochondrial DNA sequence.[4][5][6]

Four subspecies are recognised:[5]

Description

The Sahul sunbird is 10–11.4 cm (3.9–4.5 in) in length. The male weighs 6.7–11.9 g (0.24–0.42 oz), the female 6–10 g (0.21–0.35 oz). The species is sexual dimorphic. The male of the nominate subspecies is olive above, the remiges are black with green edging and the black tail has a white tip. The throat, side of neck and breast are blue-black iridescent. It has a yellow supercilium and a yellow moustachial stripe. The underparts are yellow. The iris is dark brown and the legs are black. The female lacks the iridescent throat patch.[7]

Distribution and habitat

The Sahul sunbird is a resident species from Sulawesi and the Maluku Islands to New Guinea, the Aru Islands, the Bismarck Archipelago, northern Solomon Islands and northeastern Australia.[5] It is found in various habitats including mangroves, forest edge, open scrub as well as parks and gardens.[7]

Behaviour and ecology

Female feeding chick in nest

Breeding

The elongated hanging nest is 30–60 cm (12–24 in) in length and has a hooded side entrance. It is usually placed between 0.5 and 1.5 m (1 ft 8 in and 4 ft 11 in) above the ground but can occasionally be as high as 10 m (33 ft). It is constructed by the female using grass, bark, moss, lichens, leaf fragments, vegetable fibres and spider webs. The clutch of 1–3 eggs is incubated by the female. The eggs hatch after 11–16 days and the young are then fed by both parents. The chicks fledge after 13–16 days. Normally several broods are raised each year.[7]

Feeding

It forages either singly or in small groups. The diet consists of small insects, spiders, nectar and small fruit.[7]

References

  1. ^ Müller, Salomon (1843). Verhandelingen over de natuurlijke geschiedenis (in Dutch). Vol. 1: Land-en Volkenkunde. Leiden: In commissie bij. S. en J. Luchtmans en C.C. van der Hoek. p. 173, Footnote. For the publication date see: Husson, A.M.; Holthuis, L.B. (1955). "The dates of publication of "Verhandelingen over de natuurlijke Geschiedenis der Nederlandsche overzeesche Bezittingen" edited by C. J. Temminck". Zoologische Mededelingen. 34 (2): 17–24.
  2. ^ Paynter, Raymond A. Jr, ed. (1986). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 12. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 247.
  3. ^ Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 164. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
  4. ^ Ó Marcaigh, F.; Kelly, D.J.; O’Connell, D.P.; Analuddin, K.; Karya, A.; McCloughan, J.; Tolan, E.; Lawless, N.; Marples, N.M. (2023). "Small islands and large biogeographic barriers have driven contrasting speciation patterns in Indo-Pacific sunbirds (Aves: Nectariniidae)". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 198 (1): 72–92. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlac081. hdl:2262/101492.
  5. ^ a b c Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (December 2023). "Dippers, leafbirds, flowerpeckers, sunbirds". IOC World Bird List Version 14.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  6. ^ Cheke, R.; Mann, C.; Kirwan, G.M.; Christie, D.A. (2023). Keeney, B.K.; Billerman, S.M. (eds.). "Sahul Sunbird (Cinnyris frenatus), version 1.0". Birds of the World. Ithaca, NY, USA: Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d Cheke, R.A.; Mann, C.F. (2008). "Family Nectariniidae (Sunbirds)". In del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Christie, D.A. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 13: Penduline-tits to Shrikes. Barcelona, Spain: Lynx Edicions. pp. 196-321 [296-297]. ISBN 978-84-96553-45-3.