Wattlebird
Encyclopedia
Wattlebirds are members of the Honeyeater
family, and native to Australia
. Species of wattlebird include the Little Wattlebird
, the Red Wattlebird
, the Western Wattlebird
, and the Yellow Wattlebird
.
Wattlebirds are characterized by their wattle
s. These are bare fleshy appendages, usually wrinkled and often brightly coloured, hanging from the cheeks, neck or throat, and presumably serving for display. The exception is the Little Wattlebird
, which lacks wattles.
Some other birds also have wattles, although they are not known by the term "wattlebird". Examples include the turkey
; some vulture
s; and several species of lapwing
. The entire Callaeidae
family of New Zealand
, comprising the Tieke
(also known as the Saddleback), the Kokako
, and the extinct Huia
, are also known as wattlebirds, but are unrelated to this genus.
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...
family, and native 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...
. Species of wattlebird include the Little Wattlebird
Little Wattlebird
The Little Wattlebird , also known as the Brush Wattlebird, is a honeyeater, a passerine bird in the family Meliphagidae. It is found in coastal and sub-coastal south-eastern Australia.-Taxonomy:...
, the Red Wattlebird
Red Wattlebird
The Red Wattlebird , also known as Barkingbird or Gillbird, is a honeyeater; a group of birds found mainly in Australia and New Guinea which have highly developed brush-tipped tongues adapted for nectar feeding...
, the Western Wattlebird
Western Wattlebird
The Western Wattlebird is a honeyeater, a passerine bird in the family Meliphagidae. It was formerly lumped with the Little Wattlebird which it closely resembles. It is restricted to south-western Western Australia....
, and the Yellow Wattlebird
Yellow Wattlebird
The Yellow Wattlebird is a species of bird in the Meliphagidae family.9 Other names include the Long or Tasmanian Wattlebird.2-Description:...
.
Wattlebirds are characterized by their wattle
Wattle (anatomy)
A wattle is a fleshy dewlap or caruncle hanging from various parts of the head or neck in several groups of birds, goats and other animals. In some birds the caruncle is erectile tissue.The wattle is frequently an organ of sexual dimorphism...
s. These are bare fleshy appendages, usually wrinkled and often brightly coloured, hanging from the cheeks, neck or throat, and presumably serving for display. The exception is the Little Wattlebird
Little Wattlebird
The Little Wattlebird , also known as the Brush Wattlebird, is a honeyeater, a passerine bird in the family Meliphagidae. It is found in coastal and sub-coastal south-eastern Australia.-Taxonomy:...
, which lacks wattles.
Some other birds also have wattles, although they are not known by the term "wattlebird". Examples include the turkey
Wild Turkey
The Wild Turkey is native to North America and is the heaviest member of the Galliformes. It is the same species as the domestic turkey, which derives from the South Mexican subspecies of wild turkey .Adult wild turkeys have long reddish-yellow to grayish-green...
; some vulture
Vulture
Vulture is the name given to two groups of convergently evolved scavenging birds, the New World Vultures including the well-known Californian and Andean Condors, and the Old World Vultures including the birds which are seen scavenging on carcasses of dead animals on African plains...
s; and several species of lapwing
Lapwing
Vanellinae are any of various crested plovers, family Charadriidae, noted for its slow, irregular wingbeat in flight and a shrill, wailing cry. Its length is 10-16 inches. They are a subfamily of medium-sized wading birds which also includes the plovers and dotterels. The Vanellinae are...
. The entire Callaeidae
Callaeidae
The small bird family Callaeidae is endemic to New Zealand. It contains three monotypic genera; of the three species in the family, only two survive and both of them, the Kokako and the Saddleback, are endangered species, threatened primarily by the predations of introduced mammalian species such...
family of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, comprising the Tieke
Tieke
The Saddleback or Tieke is a previously rare and endangered New Zealand bird of the family Callaeidae. It is glossy black with a chestnut saddle. Its taxonomic family is also known as that of the "wattlebirds" and includes the two subspecies of the Kokako as well as the extinct Huia...
(also known as the Saddleback), the Kokako
Kokako
The Kōkako is a forest bird which is endemic to New Zealand. It is slate-grey with wattles and a black mask. It is one of three species of New Zealand Wattlebird, the other two being the endangered Tieke and the extinct Huia...
, and the extinct Huia
Huia
The Huia was the largest species of New Zealand wattlebird and was endemic to the North Island of New Zealand. Its extinction in the early 20th century had two primary causes. The first was rampant overhunting to procure Huia skins for mounted specimens, which were in worldwide demand by...
, are also known as wattlebirds, but are unrelated to this genus.
External links
- Wattlebird videos on the Internet Bird Collection
- TerraNature pages on New Zealand wattlebirds