Leafbird
Encyclopedia
The leafbirds are a family of small passerine
bird
species found in India
, Sri Lanka
and Southeast Asia
. They are one of only three bird families that are entirely endemic to the Indomalaya
n ecozone
. They were formerly grouped with the iora
s and fairy-bluebird
s in the family Irenidae. As presently defined, the leafbird family is monotypic
, with all species placed in the genus
Chloropsis.
s, but whereas that group tends to be drab in colour, leafbirds are brightly plumaged
, with the predominant green over the body giving rise to their common name. The family is mostly sexually dimorphic in their plumage, this can vary from the highly dimorphic Orange-bellied Leafbird
to the Philippine Leafbird
, which exhibits no sexual dimorphism. Most of the differences between the sexes are in the extent of the other colours in the plumage, particularly in the colours around the head and the blue or black face mask, with females have less colour and a less extensive (or absent) mask. Some species have blue on the wings and tail. The plumage of juvenile birds is a duller version of the female's. To human ears, their songs are melodious, and several species are good mimics. The calls include whistles and chatters.
Like bulbuls, leafbirds drop many body feathers when they are handled. This may confuse predators, especially snake
s.
and Jerdon's Leafbird
which live in deciduous monsoon forests, and the Orange-bellied Leafbird
, which occurs in deciduous forests. Within this requirement, they occupy all broadleaf forest types in the South and Southeast Asia. The highest altitude they occur at is 2500 m (8200 feet). Some species, such as the Blue-masked Leafbird
, have montane distributions, rarely descending below 1000 m.
The Orange-bellied Leafbird and the Golden-fronted Leafbird are amongst the more widespread species, with large ranges across mainland Asia. Some species have more retricted distributions, such as the Yellow-throated Leafbird
, which is endemic to the Philippine island of Palawan
, and the Bornean Leafbird
, restricted to northern Borneo. In general there are seldom more than three species occurring in the same area, although five species co-occur in the submontane forests of Sumatra
. Co-occurring species are usually well-spaced on the spectrum of size, to reduce competition.
Leafbirds usually feed in the canopy
, eating insect
s and some fruit
and nectar. Prey is searched for by nimbly moving along the branch ends and gleaned
. They are also capable of hover-gleaning to obtain prey, and will pursue flushed prey into the air or even as far as the forest floor. The extent to which the leafbirds consume nectar is a matter of some debate, records are more common in Southern Asia compared to South East Asia. Some species join mixed feeding flocks
now and then; others defend the blooming and fruiting trees and bushes where they forage.
Unlike most tropical Asian passerines, the nests of leafbirds are not located low down in the forest, but are instead found on the ends of branches near the tree crown. As such the nests of many species have rarely, if ever, been seen. The nests are open cups; of the few known, they are built of fine stems, leaf parts and rootlets. Some hang from thin horizontal shoots of trees; in others the rim is attached to a pair of vertical twigs. Females lay 2 or 3 pinkish eggs
. The only information for incubation
times come from captive birds, and incubation lasts around 14 days. Incubation is apparently performed only by the female, although in at least two species the male feeds the incubating females.
is listed as vulnerable
due to habitat loss, and the Blue-masked Leafbird
, apparently never common anyway, is listed as near threatened.
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird
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...
species found in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
and Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
. They are one of only three bird families that are entirely endemic to the Indomalaya
Indomalaya
The Indomalaya ecozone is one of the eight ecozones that cover the planet's land surface. It extends across most of South and Southeast Asia and into the southern parts of East Asia....
n ecozone
Ecozone
An ecozone is the broadest biogeographic division of the Earth's land surface, based on distributional patterns of terrestrial organisms.Ecozones delineate large areas of the Earth's surface within which organisms have been evolving in relative isolation over long periods of time, separated from...
. They were formerly grouped with the iora
Iora
The ioras are a family, Aegithinidae, of small passerine bird species found in India and southeast Asia. The family has only four species in a single genus, Aegithina. They are one of only three bird families that are entirely endemic to the Indomalayan ecozone...
s and fairy-bluebird
Fairy-bluebird
The two fairy-bluebirds are small passerine bird species found in forests and plantations in tropical southern Asia and the Philippines. They are the sole members of the genus Irena and family Irenidae, and are related to the ioras and leafbirds.These are bulbul-like birds of open forest or thorn...
s in the family Irenidae. As presently defined, the leafbird family is monotypic
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
, with all species placed 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...
Chloropsis.
Description
The leafbirds range in size from 14 to 21 cm (5.5 to 8.3 in), and in weight from 15 to 48 g (0.529109431576679 to 1.7 oz). They resemble bulbulBulbul
Bulbuls are a family, Pycnonotidae, of medium-sized passerine songbirds. Many forest species are known as greenbuls. The family is distributed across most of Africa and into the Middle East, tropical Asia to Indonesia, and north as far as Japan. A few insular species occur on the tropical islands...
s, but whereas that group tends to be drab in colour, leafbirds are brightly plumaged
Feather
Feathers are one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on birds and some non-avian theropod dinosaurs. They are considered the most complex integumentary structures found in vertebrates, and indeed a premier example of a complex evolutionary novelty. They...
, with the predominant green over the body giving rise to their common name. The family is mostly sexually dimorphic in their plumage, this can vary from the highly dimorphic Orange-bellied Leafbird
Orange-bellied Leafbird
The Orange-Bellied Leafbird, Chloropsis hardwickii, is a bird native to the eastern Himalayas and south China to the Malay Peninsula. It is brightly colored with an orange belly, a green back, a blue tail and flight feathers, and a black and blue patch over its throat and chest. It has a long,...
to the Philippine Leafbird
Philippine Leafbird
The Philippine Leafbird is a species of bird in the Chloropseidae family. It is endemic to the Philippines. It is found in the islands of Mindanao, Leyte, and Cebu....
, which exhibits no sexual dimorphism. Most of the differences between the sexes are in the extent of the other colours in the plumage, particularly in the colours around the head and the blue or black face mask, with females have less colour and a less extensive (or absent) mask. Some species have blue on the wings and tail. The plumage of juvenile birds is a duller version of the female's. To human ears, their songs are melodious, and several species are good mimics. The calls include whistles and chatters.
Like bulbuls, leafbirds drop many body feathers when they are handled. This may confuse predators, especially snake
Snake
Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
s.
Distribution and habitat
Leafbirds are always found in trees and shrubs. Most are restricted to evergreen forests except the Golden-fronted LeafbirdGolden-fronted Leafbird
The Golden-fronted Leafbird is a species of leafbird. It is a common resident breeder in India, Sri Lanka, and parts of Southeast Asia. It often includes the Sumatran Leafbird from Sumatra as a subspecies, but the two differ extensively in, among others, morphology.Its habitat is forest and scrub...
and Jerdon's Leafbird
Jerdon's Leafbird
The Jerdon's Leafbird is a species of leafbird found in forest and woodland in India and Sri Lanka. Its name honours Thomas C. Jerdon. It has traditionally been considered a subspecies of the Blue-winged Leafbird The Jerdon's Leafbird (Chloropsis jerdoni) is a species of leafbird found in forest...
which live in deciduous monsoon forests, and the Orange-bellied Leafbird
Orange-bellied Leafbird
The Orange-Bellied Leafbird, Chloropsis hardwickii, is a bird native to the eastern Himalayas and south China to the Malay Peninsula. It is brightly colored with an orange belly, a green back, a blue tail and flight feathers, and a black and blue patch over its throat and chest. It has a long,...
, which occurs in deciduous forests. Within this requirement, they occupy all broadleaf forest types in the South and Southeast Asia. The highest altitude they occur at is 2500 m (8200 feet). Some species, such as the Blue-masked Leafbird
Blue-masked Leafbird
The Blue-masked Leafbird is a species of bird in the Chloropseidae family. It is endemic to humid montane forest on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It is the smallest species of leafbird....
, have montane distributions, rarely descending below 1000 m.
The Orange-bellied Leafbird and the Golden-fronted Leafbird are amongst the more widespread species, with large ranges across mainland Asia. Some species have more retricted distributions, such as the Yellow-throated Leafbird
Yellow-throated Leafbird
The Yellow-throated Leafbird is a species of bird in the Chloropseidae family.It is endemic to the Palawan in the Philippines.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.-References:...
, which is endemic to the Philippine island of Palawan
Palawan
Palawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region or Region 4. Its capital is Puerto Princesa City, and it is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction. The islands of Palawan stretch from Mindoro in the northeast to Borneo in the...
, and the Bornean Leafbird
Bornean Leafbird
The Bornean Leafbird , also known as the Kinabalu Leafbird, is a species of bird in the Chloropseidae family. It is found in humid forests in northern Borneo. It has traditionally been considered a subspecies of the Blue-winged Leafbird The Bornean Leafbird (Chloropsis kinabaluensis), also known as...
, restricted to northern Borneo. In general there are seldom more than three species occurring in the same area, although five species co-occur in the submontane forests of Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
. Co-occurring species are usually well-spaced on the spectrum of size, to reduce competition.
Behaviour
Canopy (forest)
In biology, the canopy is the aboveground portion of a plant community or crop, formed by plant crowns.For forests, canopy also refers to the upper layer or habitat zone, formed by mature tree crowns and including other biological organisms .Sometimes the term canopy is used to refer to the extent...
, eating insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s and some fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
and nectar. Prey is searched for by nimbly moving along the branch ends and gleaned
Gleaning (birds)
Gleaning is a term for a feeding strategy by birds in which they catch invertebrate prey, mainly arthropods, by plucking them from foliage or the ground, from crevices such as rock faces and under the eaves of houses, or even, as in the case of ticks and lice, from living animals. This behavior is...
. They are also capable of hover-gleaning to obtain prey, and will pursue flushed prey into the air or even as far as the forest floor. The extent to which the leafbirds consume nectar is a matter of some debate, records are more common in Southern Asia compared to South East Asia. Some species join mixed feeding flocks
Mixed-species feeding flock
A mixed-species feeding flock, also termed a mixed-species foraging flock, mixed hunting party or informally bird wave, is a flock of usually insectivorous birds of different species, that join each other and move together while foraging...
now and then; others defend the blooming and fruiting trees and bushes where they forage.
Unlike most tropical Asian passerines, the nests of leafbirds are not located low down in the forest, but are instead found on the ends of branches near the tree crown. As such the nests of many species have rarely, if ever, been seen. The nests are open cups; of the few known, they are built of fine stems, leaf parts and rootlets. Some hang from thin horizontal shoots of trees; in others the rim is attached to a pair of vertical twigs. Females lay 2 or 3 pinkish eggs
Egg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
. The only information for incubation
Avian incubation
Incubation refers to the process by which certain oviparous animals hatch their eggs, and to the development of the embryo within the egg. The most vital factor of incubation is the constant temperature required for its development over a specific period. Especially in domestic fowl, the act of...
times come from captive birds, and incubation lasts around 14 days. Incubation is apparently performed only by the female, although in at least two species the male feeds the incubating females.
Relationship with humans
Leafbirds are attractive birds and combined with an attractive song and capacity to mimic sounds they have become very popular cagebirds. The majority of the trade in this family is confined to Asia. Some populations have been locally depleted by the massive numbers captured for the trade. Overall the eleven species are mostly still common in suitable habitat, although the amount of suitable habitat has declined greatly with deforestation. One species, the Philippine LeafbirdPhilippine Leafbird
The Philippine Leafbird is a species of bird in the Chloropseidae family. It is endemic to the Philippines. It is found in the islands of Mindanao, Leyte, and Cebu....
is listed as vulnerable
Vulnerable species
On 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:...
due to habitat loss, and the Blue-masked Leafbird
Blue-masked Leafbird
The Blue-masked Leafbird is a species of bird in the Chloropseidae family. It is endemic to humid montane forest on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It is the smallest species of leafbird....
, apparently never common anyway, is listed as near threatened.
Species
- Family: Chloropseidae
- Philippine LeafbirdPhilippine LeafbirdThe Philippine Leafbird is a species of bird in the Chloropseidae family. It is endemic to the Philippines. It is found in the islands of Mindanao, Leyte, and Cebu....
, Chloropsis flavipennis - Yellow-throated LeafbirdYellow-throated LeafbirdThe Yellow-throated Leafbird is a species of bird in the Chloropseidae family.It is endemic to the Palawan in the Philippines.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.-References:...
, Chloropsis palawanensis - Greater Green LeafbirdGreater Green LeafbirdThe Greater Green Leafbird is a species of bird in the Chloropseidae family. It is distinguished from the Lesser Green Leafbird by its powerful beak, yellow throat and eye ring of the female; and lack of a yellow border along the black throat patch found in the male c...
, Chloropsis sonnerati - Lesser Green LeafbirdLesser Green LeafbirdThe Lesser Green Leafbird is a species of bird in the Chloropseidae family.It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Thailand.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests....
, Chloropsis cyanopogon - Blue-winged LeafbirdBlue-winged LeafbirdThe Blue-winged Leafbird is a species of leafbird found in forest and second growth from far north-eastern India and throughout Southeast Asia as far east as Borneo and as far south as Java. It commonly includes Jerdon's Leafbird from the Indian Subcontinent, and the Bornean Leafbird The...
, Chloropsis cochinchinensis- Jerdon's LeafbirdJerdon's LeafbirdThe Jerdon's Leafbird is a species of leafbird found in forest and woodland in India and Sri Lanka. Its name honours Thomas C. Jerdon. It has traditionally been considered a subspecies of the Blue-winged Leafbird The Jerdon's Leafbird (Chloropsis jerdoni) is a species of leafbird found in forest...
, Chloropsis (cochinchinensis) jerdoni - Bornean LeafbirdBornean LeafbirdThe Bornean Leafbird , also known as the Kinabalu Leafbird, is a species of bird in the Chloropseidae family. It is found in humid forests in northern Borneo. It has traditionally been considered a subspecies of the Blue-winged Leafbird The Bornean Leafbird (Chloropsis kinabaluensis), also known as...
, Chloropsis (cochinchinensis) kinabaluensis
- Jerdon's Leafbird
- Golden-fronted LeafbirdGolden-fronted LeafbirdThe Golden-fronted Leafbird is a species of leafbird. It is a common resident breeder in India, Sri Lanka, and parts of Southeast Asia. It often includes the Sumatran Leafbird from Sumatra as a subspecies, but the two differ extensively in, among others, morphology.Its habitat is forest and scrub...
, Chloropsis aurifrons- Sumatran LeafbirdSumatran LeafbirdThe Sumatran Leafbird is a species of bird in the Chloropseidae family. It is endemic to forest and plantations in Sumatra in Indonesia. It has often been included as a subspecies of the Golden-fronted Leafbird The Sumatran Leafbird (Chloropsis media) is a species of bird in the Chloropseidae...
, Chloropsis (aurifrons) media
- Sumatran Leafbird
- Orange-bellied LeafbirdOrange-bellied LeafbirdThe Orange-Bellied Leafbird, Chloropsis hardwickii, is a bird native to the eastern Himalayas and south China to the Malay Peninsula. It is brightly colored with an orange belly, a green back, a blue tail and flight feathers, and a black and blue patch over its throat and chest. It has a long,...
, Chloropsis hardwickii - Blue-masked LeafbirdBlue-masked LeafbirdThe Blue-masked Leafbird is a species of bird in the Chloropseidae family. It is endemic to humid montane forest on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It is the smallest species of leafbird....
, Chloropsis venusta
- Philippine Leafbird
External links
- Leafbird videos on the Internet Bird Collection