Discover Top Posts Tagged with #india and madagascar

Pucrasia macrolopha

By Prateik Kulkarni, CC BY-SA 4.0

Etymology: Pheasant

First Described By: G. R. Gray, 1841

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Galloanserae, Pangalliformes, Galliformes, Phasiani, Phasianoidea, Phasianidae, Phasianinae, Tetraonini

Status: Extant, Least Concern

Time and Place: Within the last 10,000 years, in the Holocene of the Quaternary

The Koklass Pheasant is known from India and Southeast Asia

Physical Description: The Koklass Pheasant is a large bird, ranging between 52.5 to 64 centimeters in length, with the males on average larger than the females. The birds are also sexually dimorphic in terms of body color, with the males supporting large, spikey crests and distinctive striping along their sides - while the females are more mottled and brown. The males come in a variety of plumage colors - in general, they have green faces with green and black crests, and then have varieties of grey, black, white, and red bodies and necks, with black striping (or white striping if their bodies are black). The females have light brown stripes near their eyes and a variety of brown over the rest of their bodies. The juveniles tend to resemble the females until the first year of age, when the males begin getting their adult colors.

By Harry Rawat, CC BY-SA 4.0

Diet: The Koklass Pheasant eats a variety of seeds, berries, insects, and worms.

Behavior: This particular variety of pheasant is rarely seen foraging, being quite shy and flying away at the first sign of trouble, but it tends to scrape at the ground while searching for food. They especially love foraging around ferns. They form loose flocks occasionally, but primarily feed alone or in pairs in the early morning and late afternoon. They defend their territories extensively, making rhythmic “kraa-krra-kraara” calls over and over again with some variation based on home territory and individual. They also make a variety of other clucks and barks and high pitched alarm calls.

By Sheila Mary Castelino, CC BY-SA 4.0

This pheasant will call for mates at dawn starting in November and going through June. They form monogamous pairs, which nest from April to June - making a scrape in the ground under dense cover for the nest, the Koklass Pheasant then lines this scrape with twigs and leaves. They lay five to seven yellow eggs with reddish-brown marks, which are incubated for a month by the female. These birds do move downward in terms of elevation as it gets colder and the higher altitudes are more difficult to live in.

By P. Jeganathan, CC BY-SA 4.0

Ecosystem: The Koklass Pheasant lives in coniferous forest, especially in steep terrain, being associated with the HImalayan mountains; they also enjoy areas with dense bamboo. They tend to roost in the trees of these forests.

Other: The Koklass Pheasant is not endangered and is quite common throughout its very wide range, though local extinctions based on habitat loss and human hunting have been reported.

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources under the Cut

Jubbulpuria tenuis

By Scott Reid

Etymology: The One from Jubbulpore

First Described By: Huene & Matley, 1933

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Ceratosauria

Status: Extinct

Time and Place: Between 70 and 66 million years ago, in the Maastrichtian of the Late Cretaceous

Jubbulpuria is known from the Lameta Formation of Central India

Physical Description: Jubbulpuria is a poorly known dinosaur - a dubious genus, even! - Known from only a fragment of some vertebrae. These vertebrae are poorly preserved, but they indicate Jubbulpuria was some sort of dinosaur - probably a theropod, the group of bipedal carnivorous dinosaurs from which birds evolved. The latest research on this dinosaur indicates its a Ceratosaur, the least-birdy group of theropods, and given the small size of the vertebrae it probably was a smaller one, so more likely than not, a Noasaurid - the small, slender group of Ceratosaurs. Still, without more fossils it’s difficult to say either way. It probably would have been a smaller, slenderer dinosaur, and as such, covered in protofeathers of some sort.

Diet: Jubbulpuria was probably a carnivore, though it might have also eaten fish.

Behavior: The behavior of Jubbulpuria is difficult to glean, given it is only known from limited remains that don’t indicate what kind of dinosaur it was, but it was probably a fairly active animal.

By José Carlos Cortés

Ecosystem: The Lameta Formation was a tropical lagoon environment, surrounded by dense vegetation. This plant material included a variety of algae, ferns, conifers, flowers, and - most interestingly - grass! Yup, the Lameta environment used to be one of our earliest fossil sites for grasses, indicating that grass was present and a major component of this lagoon system (though it wouldn’t have been a grassland in the modern sense). Now, of course, we’ve found more fossil evidence indicating grass evolved even earlier, and that many ornithopods were evolved to eat it; that being said, grass still didn’t become a major component of the environment until the Paleogene-Neogene transition in the Cenozoic. The grasses present in the Lameta were actually primarily kinds of rice - and were fed upon extensively by titanosaurs!

Many different kinds of animals were present in the Lameta alongside Jubbulpuria. There were snakes like Sanajeh and Madtsoia, and turtles such as Shweboemys and Carteremy. There were also a lot of fish, including sharks, in that ancient lagoon system. There were many kinds of dinosaurs as well - other smaller, slender Ceratosaurs like Jubbulpuria such as Compsosuchus, Laevisuchus, and Coeluroides; larger carnivores like the well-known abelisaurids Rajasaurus, Rahiolisaurus, and Indosuchus - and poorly known, but probably also Abelisaurids such as Lametasaurus, Indosaurus, Dryptosauroides, Ornithomimoides, and Orthogoniosaurus; giant titanosaurs such as Jainosaurus, Isisaurus, Titanosaurus, Antarctosaurus, and Laplatasaurus; and the dubious ankylosaur Brachypodosaurus! This ecosystem existed right up until the end-Cretaceous extinction, and is - indeed - an example of an environment from that ecosystem that isn’t like Late Cretaceous North America, but a whole heck of a lot weirder.

Other: Jubbulpuria may have been about 1.2 meters long, but I find that circumspect given the whole crappily known thing.

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources under the Cut

Alwalkeria maleriensis

By José Carlos Cortés

Etymology: For Alick Walker

First Described By: Chatterjee, 1987

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia

Status: Extinct

Time and Place: Alwalkeria lived about 228 million years ago, in the Carnian age of the Late Triassic

Alwalkeria is known from the Lower member of the Maleri Formation of Andhra Pradesh, India

Physical Description: Alwalkeria is one of the earliest known dinosaurs, so it - like other early dinosaurs - showcases the basic dinosaur body plan: small bipedal runner. It had teeth and a skull very similar to its close cousin, Eoraptor, which had slightly different shapes depending on the position within the jaw and a somewhat small, elongate head. It had straight, slender front teeth, and backwards curved teeth in the back of the jaw, with no serrations. Little more is known about its external appearance, given the lack of remains; however, it probably would have had a long tail, short neck, and long legs and arms. Alwalkeria would probably have been only about a meter long, making it one of the smaller dinosaurs known.

Given its small size and early position on the dinosaur tree, Alwalkeria would most likely have been covered in very primitive protofeathers, but without further fossil evidence this cannot be said for certain.

Diet: Alwalkeria has teeth adapted both for feeding on meat and for feeding on plants, so it was probably an omnivore with a highly variable diet.

Behavior: Alwalkeria would have been a fairly skittish sort of animal, as early dinosaurs such as it were not very big nor very common in their ecosystems. As such, it would have used speed to get away from predators, of which there were many. It would have been curious, as well, due to being an omnivore, and a generalist one at that - so more of an opportunist than anything, looking for sources of food wherever it could.

By Ashley Patch

Since it was a dinosaur, like other dinosaurs it would have been a fairly active animal, with a warm-blooded metabolism. It also probably took care of its young.

Ecosystem: Alwalkeria lived near a large lake environment, with mainly ferns present in the region, but also some conifers and horsetails. In the Lower Maleri environment, Alwalkeria lived alongside many other kinds of animals, though no other dinosaurs have been definitively named - only one possible prosauropod. Instead, there were the Cynodonts Exaeretodon, the Phytosaur Parasuchus, the Rhynchosaur Hyperodapedon, the Protorosaur Malerisaurus, the large temnospondyl amphibian Koskinodon, the lungfish Ceratodus, and the freshwater shark Xenacanthus. There may have also been an aetosaur of some sort. Alwalkeria probably mainly fed on small animals such as insects and reptiles not yet found in the fossil record, and it probably mainly had to look out for Koskinodon and Parasuchus in terms of predators.

Other: The original fossils described as Alwalkeria are actually a chimera, with many parts assigned to the genus actually belonging to some sort of early crocodile relative. However, there is an early dinosaur in there too, and that dinosaur seems to primarily resemble Eoraptor, though it hasn’t been thoroughly studied in a phylogenetic analysis. So, that’s what we call Alwalkeria now, even though originally there was more considered to be preserved.

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources under the cut

Uratelornis chimaera

By Frank Vassen, CC BY 2.0

Etymology: Tail Bird

First Described By: Rothschild, 1895

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Neoaves, Inopinaves, Telluraves, Afroaves, Coraciimorphae, Cavitaves, Eucavitaves, Picocoraciae, Picodynastornithes, Coraciiformes, Brachypteraciidae

Status: Extant, Vulnerable

Time and Place: Within the last 10,000 years, in the Holocene of the Quaternary

The Long-Tailed Ground-Roller is only known from a small portion of the Southwestern coast of Madagascar

Physical Description: The Long-Tailed Ground-Roller is a medium-sized bird, ranging between 34 and 47 centimeters in length. These are very visually distinctive birds, with long, pointy tails sticking up off of their buts. These tails are taupe and black striped, with the stripes being extensively distinctive in the males. These birds have speckled backs of light brown, black, and red; their wings are light brown with white tops and black under parts. They have red patches on their necks and throats, with black bands around these patches. Their heads are light brown, with black striping over them. They have long, skinny legs that are pale yellow; and thick, sharp, black beaks. Their bellies are white, with maybe some light grey spotting. It is very hard to miss this beautiful bird!

Diet: The Long-Tailed Ground-Roller mainly eats invertebrates, including ants, beetles, butterflies, caterpillars, cockroaches, grasshoppers, woodlice, and worms.

Behavior: The Long-Tailed Ground-Roller spends a good amount of time running about on the ground, rummaging through leave litter and dirt for its favorite food. It can also fly a little bit, catching food in mid-air, but it is very limited in flying abilities and rarely relies on them for gathering food. It is a very powerful runner, spending most of its time on the move in search of food. It is usually hunting at twilight and during the night, but it can also be found hunting during the day.

By Frank Vassen, CC BY 2.0

The Long-Tailed Ground-Roller is a fairly noisy bird, making a wide variety of calls, depending on the situation; while it does so, it’ll bob its head and raise its tail. When fighting for territory, males will make even, low-pitched “boo booo boo” calls, which can be heard over distances of 200 meters. These are made most frequently during the day, sometimes even a few meters off of the ground while perched in trees. All sexes make chuckling calls when they’re near their mate, usually lasting for half a minute and ending in a harsh, scratching note along with displays of the wingtips. While on the ground or in low branches, they also can be found making low “gu gu gu gu” calls, sometimes preceded by “too-tucs” in short concession. These calls are made by mated pairs calling to each other while hunting near the nest. If there’s a real and present danger to the nest, they’ll make a “too-tuc” call again, louder and more drawn out, along with scratching noises to get the attention of their mate.

Interestingly enough, the Long-Tailed Ground-Roller also raises its tail when excited. This is difficult to see, however, as it is a very shy bird.

By Gerry Zambonini, CC BY-SA 2.0

These birds start breeding in October and continue through January, though they peak in November and December when the rainy season is at its peak. A monogamous bird, the pairs are very territorial, and defend their nests vigorously. They build nests together near open areas, with the male feeding the female throughout the process. They use their bill sand feet to dig a ditch in the sand, far from vegetation; usually this burrow is about 8 centimeters in diameter. They line it with dry vegetation, and can make up to six nests in a season, but usually only one is tended to. These birds will display to each other while they construct the nest, using bill tilts, loud cracks, and flapping wings, to impress each other. They lay two to four white eggs, and the young are fed by both parents. They’re usually cared for for a while after fledging, living together in family groups. These birds don’t migrate, though they can move seasonally from one area to the next based on water availability.

By Quartl, CC BY-SA 3.0

Ecosystem: The Long-Tailed Ground-Roller is endemic to Madagascar, living in a narrow strip of habitat by the coast. This habitat is mainly arid thorn-scrub and deciduous woodland, dominated by weird Madagascar foliage. It stays where shade is at least present, and it isn’t usually found in deforested habitat. This bird is vulnerable to predation from humans, dogs, rats, and other animals.

Other: Because the Long-Tailed Ground-Roller lives in such a limited habitat, it is extremely vulnerable to extinction; habitat destruction and habitat quality decline has led to extensive drops in its population. No part of its habitat is currently being preserved, creating an area that most needs conservation efforts. It was a common bird at the beginning of the 1900s, but today is considered rare, between 10,000 and 33,000 birds left; ongoing conservation efforts are poor, and it is only kept in one zoo.

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources under the Cut

Mesitornis

White-Breasted Mesite by Francesco Veronesi, CC BY-SA 2.0

Etymology: Mesites

First Described By: Bonaparte, 1855

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Neoaves, Columbaves, Columbimorphae, Mesitornithiformes, Mesitornithidae

Referred Species: M. variegata (White-Breasted Mesite), M. unicolor (Brown Mesite)

Status: Extant, Vulnerable

Time and Place: Within the last 10,000 years, in the Holocene of the Quaternary

The Mesites live on the island of Madagascar

Physical Description: Mestites are a small group of very unique ground-dwelling birds, very elongate in shape and almost a little pigeon like in terms of the appearance of the head - really, they look like what you’d get if you crossed a roadrunner with a pigeon. And, in a way, they kind of are - mesites are closely related to pigeons, and in the same general group as roadrunners! These birds have slender bodies with long, thick tail feathers; they also have medium-length, slender legs, and tiny little heads with short, pointed beaks. They are, in general, brown in color, though the two species differ greatly in terms of variation on that brown theme. They range in size from 30 to 31 centimeters in length, with the sexes similar in size and plumage across both species.

Diet: The mesites eat primarily invertebrates from the forest floor, though sometimes plants are also eaten.

Behavior: Mestites feed in small groups on the forest floor, gathering insects and other invertebrates from the leaf litter and low lying vegetation. They also will probe their beaks into the soil to get food, as well as thrash leaves to get food in that fashion. Families usually forage together, in groups of two to three birds which walk around slowly together, meandering through the forest for food. Though ground-dwelling birds with noticeable legs, they aren’t very fast; they also are unable to fly to get food.

Brown Mesite by Francesco Veronesi, CC BY-SA 2.0

Still, these are extremely loud and vocal birds, with songs of loud whistles made in duet with each other, that accelerate as the song goes on, becoming a very excited trill. They can also make quiet calls between apri members like chicken clucks, when they don’t want to draw attention to themselves. They are especially responsive to calls made by other birds, to the point of responding to call echoes.

The Mesites nest from October through April, with the peak of breeding occuring in November; they make nests out of platforms of slender twigs with some grass, usually placed in sloping trees. The clutches have one to two eggs, with a few clutches laid per breeding season; the females do most of the incubating, though the males do help out, and incubation lasts for nearly a month. The chicks are very red-brown and puffy, and the parents take care of the young for a long time - the whole group living together as a family for a while. They don’t do any migrating, staying near where they were born for most of their lives. There might be some movement based on altitude and food availability. These birds are extremely secretive, and rarely spotted in the wild.

White-Breasted Mesite

Ecosystem: Mesites live in humid forests with dense leaf litter and few herbs or saplings, especially such forests on steep slopes at lower altitudes.

Other: The Mesites are vulnerable to extinction for a few reasons - limited ranges, patched habitat, and predation by dogs and humans. The forest habitats they call home have also been extensively reduced by logging and agriculture. Forest fires, in turn, greatly affect this bird. Conservations efforts are minimal, but ongoing.

Brown Mesite

Species Differences: These species differ primarily in terms of appearance. The Brown Mesite is chestnut brown on its back and tail, with a light orange belly and reddish patches on the neck. Its head is a darker brown, with a white sprite up to the eye. The White-Breasted Mesite is a more chocolate brown on its wings and tail, with a greenish-brown color on its back; its rump is brown and black striped, while its breast is white with black spots, anda light brown stripe at the base of its neck. Its head is brown and beige striped, as well.

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources under the Cut:

#mesitornis #mesite #bird #dinosaur #birblr #factfile #mesitornis variegata #mesitornis unicolor #White-Breasted Mesite #Brown Mesite #Neoavian #Insectivore #India and Madagascar #Quaternary #Terrestrial Tuesday

Timalia pileata

By Dibyendu Ash, CC BY-SA 3.0

Etymology: The one who honors the sun

First Described By: Horsfield, 1821

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Neoaves, Inopinaves, Telluraves, Australaves, Eufalconimorphae, Psittacopasserae, Passeriformes, Eupasseres, Passeri, Euoscines, Passerides, Core Passerides, Sylviida, Sylvioidea, Timallidae

Status: Extant, Least Concern

Time and Place: Within the last 10,000 years, in the Holocene of the Quaternary

The Chestnut-Capped Babbler is known entirely from Southeastern Asia

Physical Description: The Chestnut-Capped Babbler is a medium-sized perching bird, between 15.5 and 17 centimeters in body length. Like other songbirds, it has a round body and long, thin tail; with skinny legs and a small round head. It’s tail and back are dark brown, while its bum is a lighter brown; it has a grey stripe next to the neck, and a white throat and chest (with grey stripes along the chest). It has a red cap to its head and its head is mostly white, with a black stripe along the eye. This babbler has a small, black beak, with a slight downward curve to it. The sexes are roughly similar to one another in appearance.

Diet: The Chestnut-Capped Babbler mainly feeds on insects, especially caterpillars and beetles.

Behavior: This babbler will feed in pairs during the breeding season, but otherwise form small groups of up to eight individuals, sometimes with other birds but usually not. It will forage in low vegetation, rather than high up in the tree level; as it forages, it makes metalic calls such as “tseen-weer-skritch-richrichit” and “wher-wher-witch-it-it”. It will also make loud “tzit-tzit” noises in alarm and to call to other birds. It does not migrate, but stays in one space year round. The Chestnut-Capped Babbler breeds from February through October in India, but from April through September in southeast Asia. Both parents build the nest, which is a rough ball or dome with a large entrance at the side - usually it’s composed of dry grasses, straw, or even bamboo. These nests are made one meter above the ground, usually in bushes or baby trees. They lay two to five eggs, which are white and speckled. It’s uncertain how long brooding, fedging, or care after takes.

By Koshy Koshy, CC BY 2.0

Ecosystem: These birds live in low lying swamps, especially areas with tall grass, reeds, brush, and low jungles. It can be found along streams and roads, and other low-level damp areas. It can be found at both high and low elevations.

Other: This bird is not globally threatened, but it does vary a lot in population size from region to region. These populations do overlap extensively, however, so that’s not a hard and fast rule.

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources under the Cut

Culicicapa

Grey-Headed Canary-Flycatcher by J. J. Harrison, CC BY 3.0

Etymology: Midge Seizer

First Described By: Swinhoe, 1871

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Neoaves, Inopinaves, Telluraves, Australaves, Eufalconimorphae, Psittacopasserae, Passeriformes, Eupasseres, Passeri, Passerida, Paroidea, Stenostiridae

Referred Species: C. ceylonensis (Grey-Headed Canary-Flycatcher), C. helianthea (Citrine Canary-Flycatcher)

Status: Extant, Least Concern

Time and Place: Within the last 10,000 years; in the Holocene epoch of the Quaternary period

Culicicapa is known from the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, and the Philippines; it is also known from southwestern portions of China

Physical Description: Culicicapa, or the Canary-Flycatchers, is a genus of two types of small, yellow songbirds. These are round birds, with short tails and bright coloration. Ranging between 11 and 13 centimeters in length, they are about the length of a common cell phone, though being birds they are significantly lighter in weight. The birds have small, round heads and short, narrow beaks with fine tips. Both species feature yellow chest and belly feathers, green back feathers, and a mixture of black, green, and yellow feathers on the wings and tail. All sexes are alike in appearance in both species.

Diet: The Canary-Flycatchers primarily eat - you guessed it - flies, and additionally gnats, mosquitos, beetles, wasps, moths, and other small invertebrates. They will use their small beaks to catch insects on the wing. They also will dig in plant material for insects there.

Behavior: These birds are very noisy, making loud, squeaky, and varying calls - these calls can sound like a variety of syllables including tsu-si-tchu-si-si, sweet su sweet, tus-tsu-tswee, pit pit pit, chit-tit-tit-tit-tirr, tit-titu-wheee, and trills. These birds vary by species in terms of group living, as well; the differences between the species are listed below. They breed anytime between March and July; the Grey-Headed Canary-Flycatcher pairs for life, and showcase elaborate courtship rituals. The male will perform short circles of flight in front of the perched female and then will perch next to her, before flying again; he then hovers and displays his butt while the two call to each other. The male then courtship feeds his mate, and after they do the do, the male will build a nest out of moss, lichens, and leaves high up in a tree. They’ll brood in the same nest. The clutches are made of 3 to 4 eggs, and both parents aid in feeding the nestlings. Both species are mainly residential; the Grey-Headed Canary-Flycatcher does show some migration from the HImalayas to the plains of India if a resident of that region; and Chinese populations of the species do migrate back and forth from central to southern China during the year.

Citrine Canary-Flycatcher by Afriefrahman, CC BY-SA 4.0

Ecosystem: These birds live in lowland and mountain forests, mainly in secondary growth and along forest edges; they are mainly found in broadleaf, dry forests and along ravines and gorges as well as along forest edges. The elevation in question that they live in depends mainly on the habitat they’re found in - for example, they tend to be found at higher elevations in locations with higher elevations, etc.

Other: There are some conflicting sources on the behavior of the Grey-Headed Canary-Flycatcher; I have gone here with the most recent source I could find.

Species Differences:

The two species mainly differ on the appearance of the head, as well as their natural ranges. The Grey-Headed Canary-Flycatcher has a grey head (as the name would suggest), including a grey crest of feathers on the top, and lives mainly on the Asian mainland and in Indonesia; the Citrine Canary-Flycatcher lives in the Philippines and has a yellow-green head, with no crest.

They also show extensively different behavior - the Grey-Headed Canary-Flycatchers is more more social, feeding in pairs, groups, and mixed-species foraging flocks. They are also tamer and much more likely to approach people; while the Citrine Canary-Flycatcher is more shy and solitary, though they do form pairs to feed in the breeding season and can join mixed-species foraging flocks.

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources under the cut

Nesillas

Subdesert Brush Warbler by Francesco Veronesi, CC BY-SA 2.0

Etymology: Island Thrush

First Described By: Oberholser, 1899

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Neoaves, Inopinaves, Telluraves, Australaves, Eufalconimorphae, Psittacopasserae, Passeriformes, Eupasseres, Passeri, Euoscines, Passerides, Core Passerides, Sylviida, Sylvioidea, Acrocephalidae

Referred Species: N. brevicaudata (Grand Comoro Brush Warbler), N. lantzii (Subdesert Brush Warbler), N. longicaudata (Anjouan Brush Warbler), N. mariae (Moheli Brush Warbler), N. typica (Madagascar Brush Warbler), N. aldabrana (Aldabra Brush Warbler)

Status: Extinct - Extant, Least Concern

Time and Place: Within the last 10,000 years; in the Holocene epoch of the Quaternary period

Nesillas is known from Madagascar and the nearby islands

Physical Description: Nesillas, a group of Brush-Warblers, are small, round passerines from a variety of habitats in Madagascar and the neighboring islands. They range from 15 to 20 centimeters, making them a little bit smaller than the American Robin in terms of size. These birds are brown in color, with the specific shade of brown varying based on species; they all tend to have black stripes across their eyes. They have small, pointed beaks and fairly short tail feathers. They also tend to be darker brown on their backs, wings, and tails; and are lighter brown or even white on their chests and bellies.

Madagascar Brush Warbler by Brian Ralphs, CC BY 2.0

Diet: These birds feed mainly on small invertebrates, such as spiders, beetles, moths, caterpillars, ants, bugs, flies, grasshoppers, and sometimes seeds. Nesillas forages mainly within the cover and understory of the forest, usually by digging through leaves. They can forage alone or in pairs.

Behavior: These birds make a variety of clackity calls, as well as rattling calls and - as the name suggests - warbles. They also often make sharp notes and whistles, depending on the species. They are usually silent while foraging, and are mostly very shy in terms of general behavior, hiding in the dense undergrowth where they feed. They usually breed starting in August and continuing through January, with the bulk of breeding and nesting occurring in September and October - though this varies based on species. They usually lay between two and three eggs, either high up in the trees or more close to the ground (with the desert dwelling species nesting exclusively on the ground). There is little information available at this time on whether or not they form monogamous pairs, though it doesn’t seem likely. These birds do not migrate.

Ecosystem: Most species in this genus live in evergreen forests, usually at lower elevations; they also can be found in undergrowth and human created habitats. They prefer denser vegetation and forest levels. The Subdesert Brush-Warbler lives in scrubland and along the edges of forests near desert habitats, rather than in denser forests.

Madagascar Brush Warbler by Heinon Lein, CC BY-SA 4.0

Other: The Madagascar Brush-Warbler and the Anjouan Brush Warbler may actually be the same species; debate is ongoing as to whether or not they are sub-species of the same species, or two different species in the genus.

While most of the species are not threatened with extinction, the Aldabra Brush Warbler went extinct within the 20th century. This is due to its small range (it was only known from one atoll, rather than a small island or Madagascar) and due to introduced mammalian predators, such as rats and cats; habitat destruction probably also played a role in its extinction.

Species Differences:

The Madagascar Brush-Warbler is usually dark brown and olive, with yellowish belly feathers and dark brown cheeks. The Anjouan Brush-Warbler, on the other hand, is more of a yellowish, light brown, and doesn’t have much differentiation between the belly feathers and the back feathers. The Moheli Brush-Warbler is more green along its back, with yellow-orange belly feathers and green stripes along its chest. The Grand Comoro Brush-Warbler has even more extensive striping, with long black stripes going across its neck and lighter brown stripes along the belly, and even some slight striping along the dark brown back. The Subdesert Brush-Warbler is lighter in color than the other species, given that it lives in the desert; it is taupe on its belly, with some darker brown striping on th eneck, and has a slightly darker back. The Aldabra Brush-Warbler had the most distinctive stripe across its eye, with a contrasting white stripe above the black eye stripe; it also was dark brown on its back, and white on its belly.

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources under the cut

Nesillas

Subdesert Brush Warbler by Francesco Veronesi, CC BY-SA 2.0

Etymology: Island Thrush

First Described By: Oberholser, 1899

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Neoaves, Inopinaves, Telluraves, Australaves, Eufalconimorphae, Psittacopasserae, Passeriformes, Eupasseres, Passeri, Euoscines, Passerides, Core Passerides, Sylviida, Sylvioidea, Acrocephalidae

Status: Extinct - Extant, Least Concern

Time and Place: Within the last 10,000 years; in the Holocene epoch of the Quaternary period

Nesillas is known from Madagascar and the nearby islands

Madagascar Brush Warbler by Brian Ralphs, CC BY 2.0

Madagascar Brush Warbler by Heinon Lein, CC BY-SA 4.0

Species Differences:

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources under the cut

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