Artamidae

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Artamidae
Temporal range: Early Miocene–Recent
Pied butcherbird (Cracticus nigrogularis)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Superfamily: Malaconotoidea
Family: Artamidae
Vigors, 1825
Subfamilies

Artamidae is a

monotypic, containing only the woodswallows, but it was expanded to include the family Cracticidae in 1994. Some authors, however, still treat the two as separate families.[1]
Some species in this family are known for their beautiful song. Their feeding habits vary from nectar sucking (woodswallows) to predation on small birds (pied currawong).

Taxonomy and systematics

The family Artamidae was introduced by the Irish zoologist Nicholas Aylward Vigors in 1825.[2][3] The artamids are part of the

songbirds.[4]
The family Artamidae has been divided over time into two subfamilies. With few studies and dispute on the inclusion of Cracticidae within the family Artamidae, it appears they have been placed in this respective joint position due to lack of evidence or knowledge. Jerome Fuchs and colleagues extensively analysed both the mitochondrial and nuclear DNA of the artamid family. The results suggested that the group may have existed in Australasia for 33.7 to 45 million years, dating back to the late Eocene[5]

Strepera and Cracticus.[6]

Distribution and habitat

Artamid species occur throughout Australasia with most species occurring in Australia and New Guinea.[7] The social interactions of artamids vary from the solitary black butcherbird, which lives alone or in a single pair, to the white-breasted woodswallow, which lives in flocks or loose colonies. While some species are sedentary, staying close to suburbia and ample food sources, others are migratory or even nomadic like the masked woodswallow, moving around in response to changes in climate such as rainfall or temperature.[8] The range of habitats occupied varies between species, but many species are ecological generalists, and can be found in a variety of different habitats including rainforest, woodland, coastal scrub, watercourses, playing fields, pastoral land and paperbarks. Some species have adapted to urban landscapes where they contend with fragmented and degraded remnants of native vegetation.[9]

Morphology

Australian Magpie
showing its plumage.

Artamids are a diverse family showing a notable variation in size and shape. They range in size from the short stocky Fiji woodswallow Artamus mentalis and the ashy woodswallow Artamus fuscus, both of which are around 19 centimetres (7.5 in) in length and weigh about 40 grams (1.4 oz), to the larger grey currawong Strepera versicolour, which measures up to 50 cm (20 in) and weighs up to 440 g (16 oz).

The beaks of artamids are strong and robust, sometimes known as a generalist beak. Like

anisodactyl foot arrangement: three toes are directed forward and one toe directed backward, enabling them to perch on horizontal objects such as tree branches and power lines.[11]

Because they possess a

powder down.[13] The tips of the barbules on powder down feathers disintegrate, forming fine particles of keratin, which appear as a powder, or "feather dust", among the feathers and spread when preening.[14]
The plumage of the artamids is relatively dull, most birds showing a combination of greys, earthy browns, blacks and patches of white. There is seldom sexual dimorphism in plumage, but when it occurs the males are brighter and the females appear dull or resemble juveniles. In many species juveniles have a distinctly duller plumage.[15] The
passerines including the family Artamidae.[16]

Behaviour

Black-faced woodswallows roosting as a group

Members of the Artamidae, especially the woodswallows, have been known to cluster together during the night and day. Accounts have appeared in literature from the earliest days of ornithological documentation in Australia.[17] The habit of clustering is believed to serve two purposes: retaining body heat during cooler weather and as a social form of camouflage. Another unusual behaviour exhibited by an artamid is the swooping on humans by Australian magpies. While there is not much information on this behaviour, previous studies have suggested that magpie attacks on humans may be strongly influenced by hormone levels. For example, recent investigations indicate that the stress hormone corticosterone may cause magpie aggression and swooping.[18]

Diet and feeding

All are omnivorous to some degree: the butcherbirds mostly eat meat; Australian magpies usually forage through short grass looking for worms and other small creatures; currawongs are true omnivores, taking fruit, grain, meat, insects, eggs and nestlings; and woodswallows feed on insects and nectar.

silky oak Grevillea robusta, box mistletoe Amyema miquelii,[20] and the long flowering stalks of Xanthorrhoea spp. or insects such as cockroaches or spiders eaten by the black butcherbird. Bigger species such as the grey currawong prey on many vertebrates, including frogs, lizards such as skinks, and juveniles of smaller birds such as the native eastern spinebill Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris or the introduced house sparrow Passer domesticus.[21]
The evolution of vertical feeding zones (feeding strategies subdividing into vertical space, e.g. upper, mid- and ground canopy) is noted among the Artamidae. While species will sometimes overlap vertical terrains, most woodswallows use the upper canopy, feeding on insects and pollen, while magpies and currawongs tend to use the ground or swoop down from the mid-story pouncing on their food. Being accomplished in extractive foraging is another trait of the Artamidae; although they are opportunistic feeders they are very methodical foragers, often following a set routine.[22]

Threats

Habitat loss

With developments occurring more regularly the most critical threat to the artamids is habitat destruction and habitat fragmentation. This loss of habitat reduces vegetation corridors (connective parcels of vegetation) that are used for feeding, breeding and safely travelling.[23] After fragmentation, habitats are often too small or are limited by the construction of roads. These barriers cause population stresses and species can become vulnerable to localised extinction.[24] Habitat loss and fragmentation can force species into urbanised habitats that impose their own dangers such as cars. Roadkill is considered to contribute significantly to the population decline of many bird species, especially opportunistic feeders like the Artimidae, which often unconsciously swoop down on an insect without seeing an oncoming car.[25]

Introduced species

In Australia introduced species have caused the greatest number of extinctions. Exotic feral animals such as cats can have a negative effect on artamids. Ground-foraging species such as the magpie often fall prey to cats in urban environments.[26]

Species

There are three subfamilies[27][28] with six genera and 24 species.[27][29] In 2013 a molecular study showed the Australian magpie to be the sister taxon to the black butcherbird.[30]

References

  1. ISBN 978-0-643-06511-6
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  2. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.1823.tb00098.x
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  3. hdl:2246/830. {{cite book}}: |volume= has extra text (help
    )
  4. ISBN 978-0-19-517234-8
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  5. PMID 22475817
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  6. S2CID 85069421
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  7. ISBN 978-84-96553-50-7
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  8. ISBN 978-0-7566-9041-0
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  9. doi:10.1071/PC130110. Archived from the original
    on 2017-11-16. Retrieved 2016-09-16.
  10. ISBN 978-0-7136-8026-3
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  11. ^ Stefoff, Rebecca (2008). "The Bird Class", Marshall Cavendish Benchmark
  12. ISBN 978-1-85391-186-6
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  13. ^ Podulka, Sandy; Rohrbaugh, Ronald W.; Bonney, Rick, eds. (2003). Home Study Course in Bird Biology (second ed.). Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. p. 55 (Glossary).
  14. JSTOR 4082975
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  15. doi:10.1111/bij.12211
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  16. ProQuest 196455823
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  17. ^ Wood, V.J. (1970). "Observations of the clustering of little wood-swallows Artamus minor". Sunbird: Journal of the Queensland Ornithological Society. 1 (3). Queensland: 59–64.
  18. S2CID 84729525
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  19. ISBN 978-0-643-05115-7
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  20. ISBN 978-0-643-10083-1
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  21. ISBN 978-0-643-05115-7
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  22. ISBN 978-0-643-09068-2
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  23. ISBN 0-7167-2415-4
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  24. PMID 18513315
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  25. doi:10.1071/wr08067
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  26. PMID 16087420
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  27. ^ a b del Hoyo, Joseph (ed.). "Taxonomic structure and notes". Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
  28. ISBN 978-0-9568611-2-2
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  29. ^ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2017). "Bristlehead, Butcherbirds, Woodswallows & Cuckooshrikes". World Bird List Version 7.3. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  30. PMID 23219707
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