Bushwren
Bushwren | |
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Bushwren c. 1911 | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Family: | Acanthisittidae |
Genus: | Xenicus |
Species: | †X. longipes
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Binomial name | |
†Xenicus longipes (Gmelin, 1789)
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The bushwren (Xenicus longipes), also known as the mātuhituhi in the
Taxonomy
German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin described the bushwren in 1789.
Description
It grew to about 9 cm long and 16 g in weight. It fed mostly on invertebrates, which it captured by running along the branches of trees. It nested on or near the ground.
Extinction
It was widespread throughout the main islands of the country until the late 19th century when
The last authenticated reports of the South Island subspecies (X. l. longipes) were from Arthur's Pass in 1966 and Nelson Lakes National Park in 1968. There have been a few unsubstantiated reports since then from Fiordland and Nelson Lakes.
The third subspecies, the Stewart Island bushwren or Stead's bushwren (X. l. variabilis), was found on
Gallery
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Illustration of Xenicus longipes longipes by John Gerrard Keulemans
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Eggs of X. l. longipes in 1911
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1888 illustration of the head and feet of Xenicus longipes by John Gerrard Keulemans
References
- ^ . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ Edgar, A. T. (1949): Winter Notes on N.Z. Birds. New Zealand Bird Notes 3(7): 170-174. PDF fulltext
- ^ St. Paul, R. & McKenzie, H. R. (1977): A bushman's seventeen years of noting birds. Part F (Conclusion of series) - Notes on other native birds. Notornis 24(2): 65–74. PDF fulltext
- ^ Miskelly, Colin (2003): An historical record of bush wren (Xenicus longipes) on Kapiti Island. Notornis 50(2): 113–114. PDF fulltext
- ^ Dawson, E. W. (1951): Bird Notes from Stewart Island. Notornis 4(6): 146-150. PDF fulltext
External links
- 3D view of specimen RMNH 110.000 at Naturalis, Leiden (requires QuickTimebrowser plugin).
- Paratype specimen of Xenicus longipes variabilis in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
- Image of Bush Wren from Te Ara: The Online Encyclopedia of New Zealand
- Photography of Xenicus longipes by William Herbert Guthrie-Smith
- Bush Wren / Matuhi. Xenicus longipes. by Paul Martinson. Artwork produced for the book Extinct Birds of New Zealand, by Alan Tennyson, Te Papa Press, Wellington, 2006