Wedge-tailed Jery
Encyclopedia
The Wedge-tailed Jery is a small bird
endemic to the east of Madagascar
. The species has been the cause of some taxonomic
confusion, it was originally placed with the jeries in the genus Neomixis
(Cisticolidae
) before being placed in its own monotypic genus
Hartertula, but still considered close to Neomixis. Recent research indicates it is part of an endemic Malagasy radiation currently known as the Malagasy warbler
s (Cibois et al. 2001).
The Wedge-tailed Jery is a small, slender warbler
like bird between 12–13 cm long and weighing around 10 g. The plumage
is bright yellow before and olive on the crown, wing and back. The eye has a pale white ring and is crossed with a pale supercilium. There is no sexual dimorphism
in the plumage of adults, and juvenile birds have similar plumage as well. The call
, sung repetitively during foraging, is a nasal tsee zeezeezeezeezeezee.
Wedge-tailed Jeries inhabit dense stands of rainforest
in the east of Madagascar. They are most commonly found in the mid-altitude rainforests between 500–1400 m, and are rarer at lower altitudes and absent above 2300 m. In the rainforest they forage in the low understory, gleaning
insects from the undersides of leaves and branches, often hanging upside down to do so. They are also accomplished at extracting insects from clumps of leaves and spider web
at the ends of branches. They forage in small groups and will also join mixed-species feeding flock
s. They nest in small grass nests shaped like balls suspended between 1–2 m above the ground. Little is known about their breeding behaviour but they are known to have clutch sizes of two eggs.
The Wedge-tailed Jery is currently listed as near-threatened by the IUCN and BirdLife International
. The species is confined to mid-altitude rainforest, but this is currently the least threatened forest habitat in Madagascar. There is some danger of habitat loss, and the species is not common anywhere in its range.
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 the east of Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
. The species has been the cause of some taxonomic
Taxonomy
Taxonomy is the science of identifying and naming species, and arranging them into a classification. The field of taxonomy, sometimes referred to as "biological taxonomy", revolves around the description and use of taxonomic units, known as taxa...
confusion, it was originally placed with the jeries in the genus Neomixis
Neomixis
Neomixis is a genus of bird formerly in the Timaliidae family but now considered to belong to the African warbler cisticolidae family. The genus consists of three small forest birds endemic to Madagascar:* Stripe-throated Jery...
(Cisticolidae
Cisticolidae
The Cisticolidae family of small passerine birds is a group of about 110 warblers found mainly in warmer southern regions of the Old World. They are often included within the Old World warbler family Sylviidae....
) before being placed in its own monotypic 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...
Hartertula, but still considered close to Neomixis. Recent research indicates it is part of an endemic Malagasy radiation currently known as the Malagasy warbler
Malagasy warbler
The Malagasy warblers are a newly validated clade of songbirds. They were formally named Bernieridae in 2010. The family consists of ten species of small forest birds and is endemic to Madagascar....
s (Cibois et al. 2001).
The Wedge-tailed Jery is a small, slender warbler
Old World warbler
The "Old World Warblers" is the name used to describe a large group of birds formerly grouped together in the bird family Sylviidae. The family held over 400 species in over 70 genera, and were the source of much taxonomic confusion. Two families were split out initially, the cisticolas into...
like bird between 12–13 cm long and weighing around 10 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...
is bright yellow before and olive on the crown, wing and back. The eye has a pale white ring and is crossed with a pale supercilium. There is no sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...
in the plumage of adults, and juvenile birds have similar plumage as well. The call
Bird song
Bird vocalization includes both bird calls and bird songs. In non-technical use, bird songs are the bird sounds that are melodious to the human ear. In ornithology and birding, songs are distinguished by function from calls.-Definition:The distinction between songs and calls is based upon...
, sung repetitively during foraging, is a nasal tsee zeezeezeezeezeezee.
Wedge-tailed Jeries inhabit dense stands of rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
in the east of Madagascar. They are most commonly found in the mid-altitude rainforests between 500–1400 m, and are rarer at lower altitudes and absent above 2300 m. In the rainforest they forage in the low understory, gleaning
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...
insects from the undersides of leaves and branches, often hanging upside down to do so. They are also accomplished at extracting insects from clumps of leaves and spider web
Spider web
A spider web, spiderweb, spider's web or cobweb is a device built by a spider out of proteinaceous spider silk extruded from its spinnerets....
at the ends of branches. They forage in small groups and will also join mixed-species feeding flock
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...
s. They nest in small grass nests shaped like balls suspended between 1–2 m above the ground. Little is known about their breeding behaviour but they are known to have clutch sizes of two eggs.
The Wedge-tailed Jery is currently listed as near-threatened by the IUCN and BirdLife International
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources...
. The species is confined to mid-altitude rainforest, but this is currently the least threatened forest habitat in Madagascar. There is some danger of habitat loss, and the species is not common anywhere in its range.