Yellow wattlebird
Yellow wattlebird | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Family: | Meliphagidae |
Genus: | Anthochaera |
Species: | A. paradoxa
|
Binomial name | |
Anthochaera paradoxa (
Daudin , 1800) | |
Synonyms | |
Corvus paradoxus Daudin, 1800 |
The yellow wattlebird (Anthochaera paradoxa) is a species of
Taxonomy
French zoologist François Marie Daudin described the yellow wattlebird in 1800 as Corvus paradoxus.
The generic name Anthochaera derives from the Ancient Greek anthos 'flower, bloom' and khairō 'enjoy'.
Description
The yellow wattlebird is the largest of the honeyeaters,
The yellow wattlebird is similar in appearance to the little wattlebird and the red wattlebird.
Distribution and habitat
Yellow wattlebirds are common in Tasmania, especially in the eastern and central areas.
Yellow wattlebirds live in a variety of habitats including both dry and wet forests, and from sea level to the
Behaviour
Yellow wattlebirds are active and acrobatic with a strong flight.[2] They are fairly tame birds and often enter gardens looking for food.[2]
Harsh, raucous and grating, their calls have often been compared to a person
Yellow wattlebirds feed on the nectar of eucalypts and banksias, fruit, insects, spiders, honeydew, honey bees on the flight and manna (crystallised plant sap).[9] They forage at all levels from the ground to the canopy.[8] However, the blossoming of eucalyptus trees can be highly irregular in time and place, causing considerable changes from year to year in the breeding distribution of yellow wattlebirds, which rely on their nectar as a main source of food.[10] Therefore, the most likely threat to the yellow wattlebird is unusual climatic conditions that can reduce food availability suddenly.[9] Yellow wattlebirds can pollinate eucalyptus trees by carrying pollen in their bills or on the feathers of their heads.[11]
Breeding
Yellow wattlebirds nest in breeding pairs and aggressively defend their territories from other birds.[8] The nest of the yellow wattlebird is made by the female alone,[8] and is a large, open saucer-shaped structure made of twigs and bark that are bound by wool.[2] The inside of the nest is lined with wool and grass.[2] The nests can be up to 13 centimetres (5.1 in) high and are found in trees or shrubs.[2] Yellow wattlebirds lay 2–3 eggs that are salmon-red, spotted and blotched red-brown, purplish-red and blue-grey.[2] Both the males and females incubate the egg and feed the young.[8]
References
- ^ . Retrieved 11 November 2021.
- ^ ISBN 9780691084831.
- ^ a b Jobling, James A. (2010). "Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird-names". Retrieved 2020-04-23.
- ^ ISBN 9780691120492.
- ISBN 978-1-4200-6444-5.
- ^ Higgins, P. J., L. Christidis, and H. Ford (2020). Yellow Wattlebird (Anthochaera paradoxa), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA.
- ^ ISBN 978174021417-9
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Yellow Wattlebird". Birds in Backyards. 11 April 2006. Retrieved 28 April 2008.
- ^ a b "The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2000: Recovery Outline – Yellow Wattlebird (King Island)" (PDF). Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts. 27 April 2008. Retrieved 28 April 2008.
- .
- .
External links and further reading
- Recordings of yellow wattlebird from Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology's Macaulay Library
- Recordings of yellow wattlebird from Xeno-canto sound archive
- Images of yellow wattlebird from Graeme Chapman's photo library
- "Yellow Wattlebird, Anthochaera paradoxa". Wildlife of Tasmania. Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment. 5 March 2008. Retrieved 25 April 2008.
- Sandy Podulka; Ronald W. Rohrbaugh; Nick Booney, eds. (2004). Handbook of Bird Biology (2nd ed.). Ithaca, NY: Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. ISBN 093802762X.