Maori bell honeyeater

Maori bell honeyeater
	Male (right) and female Maori bell honeyeater
Systematics
Order :	Passerines (Passeriformes)
Subordination :	Songbirds (passeri)
Superfamily :	Meliphagoidea
Family :	Honeyeater (Meliphagidae)
Genre :	Bell honey eater ( Anthornis )
Type :	Maori bell honeyeater
Scientific name
	Anthornis melanura
	( Sparrman , 1786)

The Maori bell honey eater ( Anthornis melanura ), in the distribution area Māori Korimako or Makomako or English Bellbird , is the only bird species of the genus Anthornis from the honey eater family that still exists today . The species is classified by the IUCN as “least concern”.

features

The bird becomes 20 cm long, the larger male weighs up to 34 g, the female 26 g.

The basic color is olive green with a lighter underside. The head of the male is iridescent purple, in the subspecies A. m. oneho blue, tail and wings are blue-black. The plumage of the female is similar to that of the male, but dull. It goes from the shade more into the brown and has a narrow white stripe on the cheek.

The eye is red, the beak short and curved. The tongue has brush-like attachments at the end to lick up the nectar.

Occurrence and habitat

The species is endemic to New Zealand and distributed here on a large part of the main islands, numerous coastal islands and the Auckland Islands , but is absent in the north of the North Island .

With the introduction of European farming methods and the associated destruction of the native forests, the Maori bell honey eater suffered initially loss of habitat. Another reason for the decline in the population was the introduction of predators such as domestic cats , weasels , ermines , ferrets , rats and food competitors such as wasps . This decline occurred at the same time in many other New Zealand species; however, the Maori bell honeyeater populations recovered for reasons unknown, making it quite common again in much of New Zealand.

In addition to its original habitat in native forests, the species also occurs in anthropogenic secondary habitats such as parks and gardens.

Way of life

The birds eat nectar , honeydew , berries and insects. They are important as pollinators.

singing

The song of the bellbirds is an important part of bird song in New Zealand at sunrise. The bell-like chant is sometimes confused with that of the Tui .

Systematics

There are three subspecies:

A. melanura melanura (New Zealand Bellbird) Occurrence: Mainland, many coastal islands, Auckland Islands
A. melanura oneho (Poor Knights Bellbird) Occurrence: Poor Knights Islands
A. melanura obscura (Three Kings Bellbird), Occurrence: Three Kings Islands

A fourth subspecies A. melanura dumerilii is not recognized by most authors.

The Chatham bell honey eater ( Anthornis melanocephala ), which became extinct at the beginning of the 20th century , was temporarily regarded as another subspecies A. melanura melanocephala of the Maori bell honey eater.