Manukodes

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Manukodes
Curled Manucodia (Manucodia comrii)

Curled Manucodia ( Manucodia comrii )

Systematics
Order : Passerines (Passeriformes)
Subordination : Songbirds (passeri)
Superfamily : Corvoidea
Family : Birds of Paradise (Paradisaeidae)
Subfamily : Phonygamminae
Genre : Manukodes
Scientific name
Manucodia
Boddaert , 1783

The manukodes or crows of paradise ( Manucodia ) are a genus from the family of birds of paradise (Paradisaeidae). All species that are included in this genus are similar to crows , which is partly reflected in their German names.

The main distribution area of ​​the genus is New Guinea. They are also found on some islands or archipelagos near New Guinea. Only the Curly Paradise crow does not come to New Guinea, but exclusively as endemic to the D'Entrecasteaux Islands and the Trobriand Islands east of Papua New Guinea .

All four species are classified as Least Concern by the IUCN .

description

Stuffed glossy paradise crow that shows the shine that gives it its name
Green paradise crow

Manukodes are medium-sized to large, blue-black glossy passerine birds. They reach a body length between 34 and 43 centimeters. The crowded paradise crow is the heaviest and largest of the four species. It weighs between 410 and 440 grams. The females are usually slightly smaller than the males. The sexual dimorphism is not very pronounced - in some species the plumage of the females shines in a slightly different tone than that of the males.

Within the family of the birds of paradise , those are the genus with the most uniform appearance - the individual representatives can usually not be distinguished during field observations where they overlap in their range. Their appearance is vaguely reminiscent of completely black magpies, but manukodes have a shorter tail. The beak and feet, like the whole body, are black. Only the eyes stand out bright red. The feathers above the eye are slightly elongated and very dense, they form a noticeable "eyebrow" in some species. The plumage of all species is very shiny. The metallic iridescent sheen ranges from blue-green to bronze colors. In certain lighting conditions, magenta-colored highlights are also formed. The beak is at least as long as the head and can be up to two centimeters longer than the head. The beak ridge is slightly raised and broadened. This trait is least developed in the Jobi paradise crow . The tail plumage is long and corresponds to 81 to 84% of the wing length. It is graded in all species, this gradation is least clearly developed in the Jobiparadiescrahe. The tarsus, on the other hand, is comparatively short with a length of 21 to 22 percent of the wing length.

One of the anatomical peculiarities of the manucodes is that the males have an elongated windpipe. The elongated windpipe lies in loops above the chest muscles and just below the skin of the chest. Frith and Beehre suspect that this elongated windpipe has the function of lowering the pitch of the males' calls and thus ensuring that they are widely audible.

Way of life

Manukodes live solitary or in pairs. However, they are occasionally associated with other songbird species while foraging. At least the Jobi Paradise Crows and the Green Paradise Crows show a preference for bird species in which brown or black dominates in the plumage. The diet consists mainly of fruits, they probably also eat invertebrates. The role of animal food in their diet has not yet been conclusively investigated. The brilliant paradise crow has also been observed killing a pearl-wing monarch ( Monarcha guttural ) caught in a Japanese net and eating his brain.

Reproduction

Unlike most other birds of paradise, Manukods are monogamous. The reproductive biology of all four species has not yet been adequately investigated. The nests are built high in trees. Among other things, moss, leaves, parts of climbing plants, but also wooden parts are used. The clutches found so far comprised one or two eggs. These have a pale rose skin color and are spotted in a rounded manner , similar to that of the Lycocorax and Paradigalla species. In other genera within the birds of paradise, however, the eggs have dotted lines that differ from the basic color.

species

There are four types:

The Schall Manukodia , formerly Manucodia keraudrenii ( Lesson & Garnot , 1826) , is now part of the monotypical genus Phonygammus .

Imprisonment

Manucodes are usually not shown in zoological gardens. In the past, however, there were isolated postures: There are two known captive postures for the brilliant paradise crows by private individuals from the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. Also around 1935, the New York Zoological Society kept a brilliant paradise crow. Green paradise crows have also been kept at the Baiyer River Sanctuary , Papua New Guinea. From this captivity we know, for example, that they show courtship behavior in January and September.

Trivia

The bright paradise crow was the first bird of paradise that a European, René-Primevère Lesson, observed in the wild.

literature

Web links

Commons : Manukoden ( Manucodia )  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b C. Frith, D. Frith: Curl-crested Manucode (Manucodia comrii). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, DA & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. 2017. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. ( Online , accessed March 5, 2017)
  2. ↑ Handbook of the Birds of the World on Jobiparadiescrows , accessed July 8, 2017
  3. ↑ Handbook of the Birds of the World on the Green Paradise Crow , accessed July 8, 2017
  4. ↑ Handbook of the Birds of the World on the Bright Paradise Crow , accessed July 7, 2017
  5. ↑ Clifford B. Frith: Adaptive significance of tracheal elongation in manucodes (Paradisaeidae). In: The Condor 96: 552-555. 1994 ( online ; PDF; 394 kB)
  6. ↑ a b Frith & Beehler: The Birds of Paradise - Paradisaeidae . P. 217.
  7. ↑ a b c d Frith & Beehler: The Birds of Paradise - Paradisaeidae . P. 211.
  8. ↑ a b Frith & Beehler: The Birds of Paradise - Paradisaeidae . P. 223.
  9. ↑ Frith & Beehler: The Birds of Paradise - Paradisaeidae . P. 220.
  10. ↑ Frith & Beehler: The Birds of Paradise - Paradisaeidae . P. 215.
  11. ↑ Frith & Beehler: The Birds of Paradise - Paradisaeidae . P. 212.