Pale-faced flycatcher
| Pale-faced flycatcher | ||||||||||||
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Pale-faced flycatcher |
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| Tregellasia capito | ||||||||||||
| ( Gould , 1852) |
The Fahlgesichtschnäpper ( Tregellasia capito ), also called Graugesichtschnäpper is a bird art of the genus Tregellasia from the family of the catch (Petroicidae) intended solely for the avifauna of Australia belongs. It is one of the bird species in which cooperative breeding behavior occurs.
The stock situation of the pale-faced flycatcher is given as not at risk ( least concern ). There are two subspecies.
Appearance
anatomy
The pale-faced flycatcher reaches a body length of 12.5 to 13.5 centimeters and a wingspan of 22.5 centimeters. The tail plumage accounts for around 5.1 to 6.1 centimeters of the body length. The beak measures 1.1 to 1.6 centimeters. The weight is between 12.5 and 18.2 grams. There is no gender dimorphism.
Adult birds
The parting and the sides of the head are olive gray, the sides of the face, on the other hand, are light gray with striking white foreheads, reins and a white chin as well as an equally colored upper throat and a narrow white orbital ring . The upper side of the body is otherwise olive-gray, the tail plumage is dark gray-brown with whitish edges on the feathers tips.
The lower throat is lemon yellow, the rest of the underside of the body is dull lemon yellow with a light olive brown tint on the chest and abdomen and the flanks. The tail plumage is gray-brown on the underside. The beak and the inside of the beak are black, the iris is dark brown. The legs and feet are dull orange to dull yellow.
Fledglings
Young birds are initially more reddish-brown. The front of the head, vertex and ear-covers are longitudinally dashed whitish, the top of the body is dashed light gray. Breast, flanks and under tail-coverts are reddish-brown to brown, the rest of the underside of the body is whitish with a light brown tone.
Possible confusion
There is a superficial resemblance to the gold-bellied flycatcher . This one also has a partly yellow underside of the body. However, in this species the yellow is brighter and purer. On the upper side of the body, the gold-bellied flycatcher is predominantly gray, while the rump and the upper tail-coverts are olive-colored. The pale-faced flycatcher is slightly smaller than this species and more delicate in body. The two species can also be distinguished by their behavior: the golden-bellied flycatcher is restless, keeps raising its tail plumage and twitching its wings, which the pale-faced flycatcher usually does not do.
Distribution area and habitat
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The pale-faced flycatcher occurs in two disjoint distribution areas on the eastern coast of Australia. The distribution area extends from Cooktown and the Atherton Tablelands on the Cape York Peninsula to about the Paluma Range National Park . The second Australian population lives in a region in southeast Queensland and New South Wales that stretches from Fraser Island to the Manning River .
Two subspecies are distinguished in this distribution area;
- T. c. nana ( EP Ramsay , 1878) - the northeastern population from Cooktown to the Paluma Range
- T. c. capito ( Gould , 1854) - the nominate form found in southeast Queensland and New South Wales.
The habitat of the pale-faced flycatcher are rainforests and moist eucalyptus forests in temperate, subtropical and tropical climates. The altitude distribution ranges from the lowlands to altitudes of 1500 meters.
Way of life
The pale-faced flycatcher lives solitary, in pairs or in small family groups. It is a calm, inconspicuous bird that often sits motionless on a branch for one to three minutes before flying into the nearest tree or onto the ground to catch insects. Its diet consists almost exclusively of insects, only occasionally does it eat seeds. It finds its food on the ground and in the foliage of trees. In rainforests it looks for food in the treetops more often, but in moist eucalyptus forests it comes to the ground more often. He lies in wait for prey from a stand guard, he often catches them in flight.
Reproduction
The breeding season of the pale-faced flycatcher falls from August to January. They are territorial birds that, as a pair or as a breeding group, defend a small territory that is about one hectare in size.
Nest, clutch and young birds
The nest is usually in thick vegetation, often near running water. It is an open, bowl-shaped nest made of grass, leaves, small roots, narrow strips of bark, and lianas. Occasionally cobwebs are also used. The clutch consists of two eggs. The female, which is fed by the male, breeds alone. However, the female keeps leaving the clutch for a short time to bathe, clean the plumage and look for food herself. The breeding season is 14 to 18 days. The nestlings are fed by the parent birds and occasionally other pale-faced flycatchers (see cooperative breeding behavior). They fledge after 15 to 19 days. By the time they leave the nest, however, they are only able to fly to a limited extent. They then often sit close together in the thick undergrowth or thickets of climbing plants one to three meters above the ground. They are cared for by the parent birds for seven to eight weeks after they leave. The so-called "helpers" are not involved in the care after the flight.
Cooperative breeding behavior
The pale-faced flycatcher is one of the bird species in which cooperative breeding behavior is observed again and again. Such breeding groups consist of a dominant male, one or two adult females and one or two other males. It is assumed that in many cases these males belong to the offspring of the breeding pair from previous broods. Offspring from broods more often remain in the breeding grounds of the parent birds.
Six of the 15 pairs observed over two breeding seasons had such a helper. This stayed one breeding season in the breeding pair's territory. These helpers take part in the defense of the area and in feeding the young birds. If the dominant male dies, they take over his role.
literature
- Bruce M. Beehler, Thane K. Pratt: Birds of New Guinea; Distribution, Taxonomy, and Systematics. Princeton University Press, Princeton 2016, ISBN 978-0-691-16424-3 .
- J. Ferguson-Lees, DA Christie: Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London 2001, ISBN 0-7136-8026-1 .
- PJ Higgins (Ed.): Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds. Volume 2: Raptors to Lapwings. Oxford University Press, Oxford 1993, ISBN 0-19-553069-1 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Handbook of the Birds of the World on the Fahlgesicht-Schnäpper accessed on June 7, 2017.
- ↑ a b c Higgins (Ed.): Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds. Volume 2, p. 760.
- ↑ Higgins (Ed.): Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds. Volume 2, p. 756.
- ↑ a b Higgins (Ed.): Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds. Volume 2, p. 764.
- ↑ Higgins (Ed.): Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds. Volume 2, p. 757.
- ↑ Higgins (Ed.): Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds. Volume 2, p. 759.
- ↑ Higgins (Ed.): Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds. Volume 2, p. 762.