November 25, 2024 - Pilotbird (Pycnoptilus floccosus) Found in southeastern Australia, these birds live in forests with heavy undergrowth. They eat arthropods, along with some seeds and fruit, foraging on the ground in pairs or family groups and sometimes following Superb Lyrebirds to capture fleeing insects. Breeding from August to February, pairs may raise two, or even three, broods a year. They build large domed nests with side entrances from bark, leaves, grass, rootlets, and feathers on or near the ground in dense vegetation. Females incubate clutches of two eggs while males feed them. The males care for the chicks while the females incubate the second and third clutches of eggs. Classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN, they have suffered rapid population declines caused by severe fires in 2020.
