Melanocharitidae
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Melanocharitidae | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Genera | ||||||||||||
|
Melanocharis |
The Melanocharitidae, the berrypeckers and longbills, is a small bird family restricted to the forests of New Guinea. The family was once placed inside the Flowerpecker family Dicaeidae. It comprises ten species in two genera:
- Melanocharis
- Obscure Berrypecker, Melanocharis arfakiana
- Black Berrypecker, Melanocharis nigra
- Lemon-breasted Berrypecker, Melanocharis longicauda
- Fan-tailed Berrypecker, Melanocharis versteri
- Streaked Berrypecker, Melanocharis striativentris
- Spotted Berrypecker, Melanocharis crassirostris
- Toxorhamphus
- Yellow-bellied Longbill, Toxorhamphus novaeguineae
- Slaty-chinned Longbill, Toxorhamphus poliopterus
- Dwarf Honeyeater, Toxorhamphus iliolophus
- Pygmy Honeyeater, Toxorhamphus pygmaeum
These are medium-sized birds[1] (Melanocharis usually bigger than Toxorhamphus[2]) which feed on fruit and on insects and other invertebrates.[1][2] They have drab-coloured plumage in greys, browns or black and white.[1] The berrypeckers resemble stout short-billed honeyeaters, and the longbills are like drab sunbirds[1] or short-tailed honeyeaters.[2]
Melanocharitidae species are usually seen alone or in pairs.[1] The breeding of some species is undescribed; those that are known breed in the dry season.[2] They build a cup nest,[1][2] usually on a forked branch near the edge of a tree, out of fern scales and plant fibres bound neatly with insect or spider silk and ornamented with lichens.[2] They lay one or two eggs.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g Winkler, David W. Melanocharitidae. Bird Families of the World. Cornell University, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Retrieved on 2008-03-19.
- ^ a b c d e f Kikkawa, Jiro (2003). "Flowerpeckers", in Christopher Perrins (Ed.): Firefly Encyclopedia of Birds. Firefly Books, 584–585. ISBN 1-55297-777-3.
 This article about a passerine bird is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
