Bismarck swallow star
| Bismarck swallow star | ||||||||||||
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Bismarck Swallow Star ( Artamus insignis ) |
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| Artamus insignis | ||||||||||||
| PL Slater , 1877 |
The Bismarck star swallow ( Artamus insignis ) is a species of bird from the genus of star swallow ( Artamus ) in the family of star swallow relatives (Artamidae). It is endemic to the Bismarck Archipelago .
features
The Bismarck Schwalbenstar reaches a size of 18 to 19 cm and a weight of 49 to 54 grams. Head, throat, wings and tail are soot black, the rest of the plumage is white. A light blue-gray eye ring runs around the brown iris. The light blue-gray beak has a black tip. The legs are light blue-gray. The sexes look the same. The head of immature birds is tinged with brown. The rear neck is gray-brown. The wing feathers and the outer tail feathers have white tips. The call consists of a high-pitched "wink wink".
Occurrence and habitat
The Bismarck Swallow Star occurs in New Britain and New Ireland on the Bismarck Archipelago . It inhabits tropical, moist lowland rainforests, including clearings and adjacent gardens, mainly on hills at altitudes up to 900 m.
Way of life
Little is known about the way of life of the Bismarck Swallow Star. It is a faithful bird that rarely crosses bodies of water. The food consists of insects that are caught in flight. Dead trees are used as waiting areas. It is usually seen in troops of up to ten individuals.
status
The IUCN classifies the Bismarck swallow star as "not endangered" ( least concern ). In New Britain , its habitat decreased by around 12 percent between 1990 and 2000.
literature
- Josep del Hoyo , Andrew Elliott, David Christie (2009): Handbook of the Birds of World. Volume 14. Lynx edicions, Barcelona, ISBN 978-84-96553-50-7 .
Web links
- Artamus insignis inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved February 6, 2014.