Gibberbird
Encyclopedia
The Gibberbird is a species of bird
endemic to Australia
. It is the only species in the genus
Ashbyia. It, along with the four chats in the genus Epthianura
, have sometimes been placed in a separate family, Epthianuridae (the Australian chats), but are now thought to be aberrant honeyeater
s in the family Meliphagidae.
The Gibberbird is 11–14 cm long and weighs 14–20 g. The plumage
of the male is washed out brown on the crown, back of the neck, back and wings and yellow on the face, throat and belly. The female is similar but with more brown around the throat, face and neck and overall a bit duller. The iris
of the eye
is bright yellow and the heavy bill
and legs are black.
The names of the species is derived from the gibber plains
that comprise its habitat. It is a terrestrial species which feeds on seeds and lives singly or in pairs.
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
endemic to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is the only species in the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Ashbyia. It, along with the four chats in the genus Epthianura
Epthianura
Epthianura is a genus of bird also known as the Australian chats. Along with the Gibberbird in the genus Ashbyia they were once thought to constitute a separate family, the Epthianuridae, although most taxonomists today treat them as a subfamily, Epthianurinae, of the honeyeater family...
, have sometimes been placed in a separate family, Epthianuridae (the Australian chats), but are now thought to be aberrant honeyeater
Honeyeater
The honeyeaters are a large and diverse family of small to medium sized birds most common in Australia and New Guinea, but also found in New Zealand, the Pacific islands as far east as Samoa and Tonga, and the islands to the north and west of New Guinea known as Wallacea...
s in the family Meliphagidae.
The Gibberbird is 11–14 cm long and weighs 14–20 g. The plumage
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
of the male is washed out brown on the crown, back of the neck, back and wings and yellow on the face, throat and belly. The female is similar but with more brown around the throat, face and neck and overall a bit duller. The iris
Iris (anatomy)
The iris is a thin, circular structure in the eye, responsible for controlling the diameter and size of the pupils and thus the amount of light reaching the retina. "Eye color" is the color of the iris, which can be green, blue, or brown. In some cases it can be hazel , grey, violet, or even pink...
of the eye
Eye
Eyes are organs that detect light and convert it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons. The simplest photoreceptors in conscious vision connect light to movement...
is bright yellow and the heavy bill
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
and legs are black.
The names of the species is derived from the gibber plains
Desert pavement
A desert pavement is a desert surface that is covered with closely packed, interlocking angular or rounded rock fragments of pebble and cobble size.-Formation:Several theories have been proposed for their formation...
that comprise its habitat. It is a terrestrial species which feeds on seeds and lives singly or in pairs.
