Yellow-throated Scrubwren
Encyclopedia
The Yellow-throated Scrubwren (Sericornis citreogularis) is a passerine
bird found in parts of eastern coastal Australia
. Placed in the family
Pardalotidae in the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy
, this has met with opposition and indeed is now known to be wrong; they rather belong to the independent family Acanthizidae
.
A small ground-dwelling bird
that inhabits wet forest or rainforest, it is insectivorous. The bird has a distinctive yellow throat and eybrow. The male face is black and the female brown. The crown and upperparts are dark- to olive-brown, and the underparts cream, white or washed-out olive. The wings are dark brown and edged with yellow. Breeding twice or more in a long breeding season, it nests in large suspended pear-shaped structures. Often over water, they resemble flood debris which they are often placed nearby. These nests are the preferred roosts of the Golden-tipped Bat
(Phoniscus papuensis).
in 1838. The specific epithet citreogularis derived from the Latin
terms cǐtreus "pertaining to citrus" and gǔla "throat", hence "yellow throated". The northern subspecies cairnsii was described by amateur ornithologist Gregory Mathews
in 1912.
to Townsville
, and from Hervey Bay
in southern coastal Queensland south through to southeastern New South Wales
. The usual habitat is rainforest gullies, generally with streams nearby. In the Sydney Basin
this may be the Illawarra escarpment
, and wetter places in the Dharug-
and Royal National Park
s.
Insectivorous, they feed at ground level, unlike the related Large-billed Scrubwren
(S. magnirostris) which lives in the same wet forest habitat but forages higher in the leaf layer and on branches.
The nest may be expanded in subsequent years by the birds adding an extra chamber onto it. They also appear to be the preferred daytime roosting sites of the Golden-tipped Bat
(Phoniscus papuensis).
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 found in parts of eastern coastal 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...
. Placed in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Pardalotidae in the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy
Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy
The Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy is a bird taxonomy proposed by Charles Sibley and Jon Edward Ahlquist. It is based on DNA-DNA hybridization studies conducted in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s....
, this has met with opposition and indeed is now known to be wrong; they rather belong to the independent family Acanthizidae
Acanthizidae
The Acanthizidae, also known as the Australasian warblers, are a family of passerine birds which include gerygones, thornbills, and scrubwrens. The Acanthizidae consists of small to medium passerine birds, with a total length varying between 8 and 19 cm. They have short rounded wings, slender...
.
A small ground-dwelling 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...
that inhabits wet forest or rainforest, it is insectivorous. The bird has a distinctive yellow throat and eybrow. The male face is black and the female brown. The crown and upperparts are dark- to olive-brown, and the underparts cream, white or washed-out olive. The wings are dark brown and edged with yellow. Breeding twice or more in a long breeding season, it nests in large suspended pear-shaped structures. Often over water, they resemble flood debris which they are often placed nearby. These nests are the preferred roosts of the Golden-tipped Bat
Golden-tipped Bat
The Golden-Tipped Bat is a species of vesper bat in the Vespertilionidae family. It has dark brown, curly fur with bright golden tips. The distinctively colored fur extends along the wings, legs and tail. It has a short, pointed, over-hanging muzzle and pointy, funnel-shaped ears. Adults weigh...
(Phoniscus papuensis).
Taxonomy
The Yellow-throated Scrubwren was originally described by ornithologist John GouldJohn Gould
John Gould was an English ornithologist and bird artist. The Gould League in Australia was named after him. His identification of the birds now nicknamed "Darwin's finches" played a role in the inception of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection...
in 1838. The specific epithet citreogularis derived from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
terms cǐtreus "pertaining to citrus" and gǔla "throat", hence "yellow throated". The northern subspecies cairnsii was described by amateur ornithologist Gregory Mathews
Gregory Mathews
Gregory Macalister Mathews CBE was an Australian amateur ornithologist.Mathews made his fortune in mining shares, and moved to England around 1900....
in 1912.
Description
The Yellow-throated Scrubwren measures 12.5–15 cm (5-6 in) in length. The male bird has a black masked face and ear coverts, with yellow throat and eyebrow. The iris is reddish and upperparts brownish and underparts paler. The wing primaries are yellow and relatively long legs pinkish or cream. The female has a brownish face. Calls include a loud harsh chatter, and a lively song, the latter can be a response to a loud noise such as a car door slamming.Distribution and habitat
The species is found in two disjunct distributions; in coastal north Queensland from CooktownCooktown, Queensland
Cooktown is a small town located at the mouth of the Endeavour River, on Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland where James Cook beached his ship, the Endeavour, for repairs in 1770. At the 2006 census, Cooktown had a population of 1,336...
to Townsville
Townsville, Queensland
Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Australia, in the state of Queensland. Adjacent to the central section of the Great Barrier Reef, it is in the dry tropics region of Queensland. Townsville is Australia's largest urban centre north of the Sunshine Coast, with a 2006 census...
, and from Hervey Bay
Hervey Bay, Queensland
Hervey Bay is a city in Queensland, Australia. The city is situated approximately north of the state capital, Brisbane, and lies on the coast of a natural bay between the Queensland mainland and nearby Fraser Island. The local economy relies on tourism, for which whale watching, Fraser Island and...
in southern coastal Queensland south through to southeastern New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. The usual habitat is rainforest gullies, generally with streams nearby. In the Sydney Basin
Sydney Basin
The Sydney Basin is a sedimentary basin on the east coast of New South Wales, Australia consisting of Permian and Triassic sedimentary rocks...
this may be the Illawarra escarpment
Illawarra escarpment
The Illawarra Escarpment is the fold created cliffs and plateau eroded outcrop mountain range west of the Illawarra coastal plain south of Sydney, Australia, enclosing the region known as the Illawarra which stretches from Stanwell Park in the north to Kiama, Gerringong and the Shoalhaven river in...
, and wetter places in the Dharug-
Dharug National Park
Dharug National Park is a national park in New South Wales , 58 km north of Sydney.-Fact sheet:*Area: 152 km²*Coordinates: *Date of establishment: October 1, 1967...
and Royal National Park
Royal National Park
Royal National Park is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, 29 km south of Sydney CBD.Founded by Sir John Robertson, Acting Premier of New South Wales, and formally proclaimed on 26 April 1879, it is the world's second oldest purposed national park, the first usage of the term...
s.
Insectivorous, they feed at ground level, unlike the related Large-billed Scrubwren
Large-billed Scrubwren
The Large-billed Scrubwren is a bird species. Placed in the family Pardalotidae in the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, this has met with opposition and indeed is now known to be wrong; they rather belong to the independent family Acanthizidae.Described by ornithologist John Gould in 1838, it is endemic...
(S. magnirostris) which lives in the same wet forest habitat but forages higher in the leaf layer and on branches.
Reproduction
Breeding season can extend from June to March, with two or more broods laid in a season. The nest is a large structure of long pieces of dried grasses and leaves, sticks, palm fibre, bark, and ferns and feathers for lining. Pear-shaped, it hangs above the ground or water, suspended from a vine or branch. It may be mistaken for flood debris and is often constructed near it. A clutch of two or three tapered oval 26 x 18 mm eggs is laid; they vary from brownish-purple to pale brownish-white with darker spots or blotches. There is a cap of darker colour at the large end of the eggs.The nest may be expanded in subsequent years by the birds adding an extra chamber onto it. They also appear to be the preferred daytime roosting sites of the Golden-tipped Bat
Golden-tipped Bat
The Golden-Tipped Bat is a species of vesper bat in the Vespertilionidae family. It has dark brown, curly fur with bright golden tips. The distinctively colored fur extends along the wings, legs and tail. It has a short, pointed, over-hanging muzzle and pointy, funnel-shaped ears. Adults weigh...
(Phoniscus papuensis).