Shrikebill
Encyclopedia
The shrikebills are the monarch flycatcher genus
Clytorhynchus. The four to six species
have long laterally compressed bills similar to true shrike
s that give them their names. The genus is endemic to the islands of Melanesia
and western Polynesia
.
The shrikebills are insectivorous, and use their large heavy bills to explore tangles of dead leaves and dead wood; an unusual foraging strategy for their family. Their diet may also include small fruits and lizards.
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...
Clytorhynchus. The four to six species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
have long laterally compressed bills similar to true shrike
Shrike
Shrikes are passerine birds of the family Laniidae. The family is composed of thirty-one species in three genera. The family name, and that of the largest genus, Lanius, is derived from the Latin word for "butcher", and some shrikes were also known as "butcher birds" because of their feeding habits...
s that give them their names. The genus is endemic to the islands of Melanesia
Melanesia
Melanesia is a subregion of Oceania extending from the western end of the Pacific Ocean to the Arafura Sea, and eastward to Fiji. The region comprises most of the islands immediately north and northeast of Australia...
and western Polynesia
Polynesia
Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs...
.
The shrikebills are insectivorous, and use their large heavy bills to explore tangles of dead leaves and dead wood; an unusual foraging strategy for their family. Their diet may also include small fruits and lizards.
Species
Clytorhynchus contains the following species:- Southern ShrikebillSouthern ShrikebillThe Southern Shrikebill is a songbird species in the family Monarchidae.It is found in New Caledonia and Vanuatu. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.-References:...
, Clytorhynchus pachycephaloides - Fiji ShrikebillFiji ShrikebillThe Fiji Shrikebill is a songbird species in the family Monarchidae. The Manu'a Shrikebill, subspecies powelli may have gone extinct in the 1990 due to habitat destruction....
, Clytorhynchus vitiensis- Manu'a Shrikebill, Clytorhynchus (vitiensis) powelli (possibly extinct: 1990s?)
- Black-throated ShrikebillBlack-throated ShrikebillThe Black-throated Shrikebill is a songbird species in the family Monarchidae. The Santa Cruz Shrikebill or Nendo Shrikebill may be its subspecies sanctaecrucis or a distinct species....
, Clytorhynchus nigrogularis- Santa Cruz Shrikebill or Nendo Shrikebill, Clytorhynchus (nigrogularis) sanctaecrucis
- Rennell ShrikebillRennell ShrikebillThe Rennell Shrikebill is a songbird species in the family Monarchidae.It is endemic to Solomon Islands. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests....
, Clytorhynchus hamlini