Berry picker

Berry picker
Gray-chin awl beak ( Toxorhamphus poliopterus )
Systematics
Class : Birds (aves) without rank: Neornithes Subclass : New-jawed birds (Neognathae) Order : Passerines (Passeriformes) Subordination : Songbirds (passeri) Family : Berry picker
Scientific name
Melanocharitidae
Ahlquist & Sibley , 1985

The berry pickers (Melanocharitidae) form a family of songbirds that live exclusively in the forests of New Guinea and the neighboring islands.

description

Berry pickers are small to very small birds with an olive-green, olive-yellow or blue-gray color. With the exception of the genus Rhamphocharis , the females are less contrasting in color. The head of the bird is small to medium in size, the neck is short and thick. The beak of the Melanocharis and Rhamphocharis species is short and slightly curved, that of the Oedistoma and Toxorhamphus species is long and clearly curved. The wings are of medium length, the tail short or long. The legs are short to medium in length, the feet small to medium in size.

Way of life

Berry pickers occur in tropical forests from the lowlands to the montan forests at high altitudes. They live there from the undergrowth to high in the tree tops. Melanocharis and Rhamphocharis species feed primarily on fruits, preferably berries and figs. Among the Oedistoma and Toxorhamphus species, nectar is the most important food and fruits are in second place. All four genera supplement their diet with insects. When foraging for food, berry pickers often form mixed groups with other bird species. Although some species of berry pickers are among the most common birds in the New Guinea forests, their reproductive behavior is still largely unknown. The bowl-shaped nest, always built in a fork of a branch, consists largely of fern leaves and is camouflaged with lichen on the outside. A clutch usually consists of one or two eggs. The males probably take part in the feeding of the young birds, but it is not yet known whether they will also breed.

Systematics

Originally the species of berry pickers belonged to the mistletoe- eaters ( Dicaeidae) and honey-eaters (Meliphagidae). In the berry picker they were brought together on the basis of genetic tests. The family comprises 4 genera with 11 species:

Patch berry picker ( Rhamphocharis crassirostris )

• Melanocharis
  • Arfakberry picker ( Melanocharis arfakiana )
  • Yellow-tufted berry picker ( Melanocharis longicauda )
  • Common white tufted berry picker ( Melanocharis nigra )
  • Striped berry picker ( Melanocharis striativentris )
  • Fan- tailed berry picker ( Melanocharis versteri )
• Oedistoma
  • Gnomish prankbill ( Oedistoma iliolophus )
  • Pygmy paws beak ( Oedistoma pygmaeum )
• Rhamphocharis
  • Patch berry picker ( Rhamphocharis crassirostris )
  • Long-billed berry picker ( Rhamphocharis piperata )
• Toxorhamphus
  • Yellow-bellied Awlbill ( Toxorhamphus novaeguineae )
  • Gray-chin awl beak ( Toxorhamphus poliopterus )

Individual evidence

1. ^ ^{A b} David W. Winkler, Shawn M. Billerman, Irby J. Lovette: Bird Families of the World - An Invitation to the Spectacular Diversity of Birds. Lynx Edicions and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 2015, ISBN 978-84-941892-0-3 . Page 396 a. 397.
2. ↑ ^{a b} P. Gregory, A. Bonan (2018): Berrypeckers and Longbills (Melanocharitidae). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, DA & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. ( Online )

Web links

Commons : Beerenpicker  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Videos, photos and audio recordings to Beer pickers in the Internet Bird Collection (English)