camarhynchus is a genus of bird in the family thraupidae ; all species of camarhynchus are endemic to the galápagos islands , and together with related genera they are collectively known as darwin 's finches .

sometimes classified in the bunting and american sparrow family emberizidae , more recent studies have shown it to belong in the tanager family .

it contains the following species : small tree finch ( camarhynchus parvulus ) medium tree finch ( camarhynchus pauper ) large tree finch ( camarhynchus psittacula ) woodpecker finch ( camarhynchus pallidus ) mangrove finch ( camarhynchus heliobates ) the vegetarian finch ( platyspiza crassirostris ) is often also included in this genus .

camarhynchus

camarhynchus psittacula psittacula : galapagos islands ( seymour , barrington , santa cruz , floreana , pinzón , rábida , santiago is . )
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kleindorfer , s . ( 2007 ) nesting success in darwin ' s small tree finch , camarhynchus parvulus : evidence of female preference for older males and more concealed nests . animal behaviour , 74 : 795 - 804 .
birds in hand , the scientist sailed from santa cruz , the most populous of the galápagos islands , on a boat bound for isabela island , 150 miles ( 240 kilometers ) away . there , the last remaining wild population of about 80 mangrove finches ( camarhynchus heliobates ) hangs on in two patches of forest no bigger than 12 manhattan blocks .
the mangrove finch , seen here on isabela island , is thought to number around 80 animals in the wild .
one of the world ' s rarest birds , the mangrove finch has dwindled to a habitat the size of just 12 city blocks . here ' s how scientists are trying to bring it back from near - extinction .
francesca cunninghame prepared for a sea voyage on a recent afternoon with some strange cargo : eight fledglings of the mangrove finch , one of the rarest birds on earth .
the brownish , 6 - inch ( 14 - centimeter ) bird is one of the famed
darwin ' s finches ,
several species that were collected and brought back to england by the naturalist after his visit to the galápagos islands in 1835 . ( related :
dna reveals how darwin ' s finches evolved .
)
the galápagos islands finches display a wide variety of beak shapes and sizes . the beaks of this isolated group of birds have evolved to match their niche diets and were an important clue for charles darwin in developing his theory of evolution .
their long , pointed beak curves downward , which helps them lift off tree bark scales and find hidden insects .
this bird has a large , wide bill , earning it the nickname “megamouth . ” its bill is ideal for crushing thick , hard , and large seeds .
stout and strongly curved , this beak’s primary function is to manipulate soft foods , like tree buds , leaves , flowers , and fruit .
this bird has a long , spike - shaped bill that tapers to a point . with this bill , it can probe cactus flowers and fruit for nectar , pollen , and seeds .
with a thin bill perfect for reaching small spaces , this bird eats small insects hidden in bark , mosses , and leaves .
like many other species native to the famous ecuadorian islands , the mangrove finch was devastated by the arrival of alien predators such as rats and cats beginning in the 1600s . it was a much smaller immigrant , though , that brought the mangrove finch to its now precarious status—a type of invasive fly that parasitizes and kills newborn birds .
to rescue the bird that helped shape the theory of evolution as we know it , the charles darwin foundation , which works to preserve the diversity of the galápagos , launched an effort to save the finch nearly a decade ago .
with the bird still in decline , in 2014 the project enlisted the help of the san diego zoo to begin a new phase of the program called
head - starting
: taking mangrove finch eggs from the wild to raise in the safety of an incubator at the charles darwin research station on santa cruz .
see a video of baby finches hatched at the charles darwin research station in 2014 .
since last year , scientists have released 23 hand - raised birds into the wild , including the eight released during cunninghame ' s most recent trip to isabela .
we take the birds at night , so that they ' ll sleep on the journey ,
said cunninghame , who leads the mangrove finch rescue effort .
the first two seasons of the head - starting program have shown encouraging results . but even so , the scientists know it isn ' t the long - term answer to saving the mangrove finch .
this is sort of a stopgap to hopefully prevent extinction until we can figure out how to eradicate the fly ,
said nicole lagreco , an animal - care manager at the san diego zoo who traveled to the galápagos to help collect mangrove finch eggs and raise the fledglings . ( test your darwin knowledge with our national geographic quiz . )
it ' s certainly not the answer to keep them alive forever .
the birds darwin collected in the galápagos inspired him and later scientists to develop the evolutionary principle of natural selection—the idea that animals evolve particular traits to suit their lifestyles . ( read
darwin ' s first clues
in national geographic magazine . )
for instance , as an insect eater , the mangrove finch ' s beak is thinner than the wide , conical beaks of other finches that eat seeds or nuts .
in the late 20th century , mangrove finches once occupied the mangrove forests for which they ' re named along the coasts of isabela and fernandina , the two westernmost islands of the galápagos .
sometime in the 1960s , a type of fly known by its genus name philornis arrived in the galápagos . nobody is sure how it got there ; because the adult fly feeds on fruit , it may have stowed away on a boatload of bananas .
philornis lays its eggs in bird ' s nests ; the fly ' s larvae hatch and feed on hatchlings ' blood and tissue . philornis has hurt many galápagos bird species , but the mangrove finch—already suffering from predation—was especially devastated . ( see
new report highlights dire situation of many u . s . birds .
)
in the first stages of the mangrove finch program , scientists trapped many of the invasive rats and cats , eliminating most of their threat to mangrove finches .
but , under continued assault from philornis , the species disappeared from fernandina and most of isabela , dwindling by 2013 to only 60 or so individuals . ( also see
blue - footed booby threatened in the galápagos .
)
the philornis downsi fly lays its eggs in mangrove finch nests . at night the rice - size larvae attack hatchlings through their ear and nasal cavities . the larvae then feast on the chick’s blood and flesh , causing the bird’s deformation and usually death .
we were seeing up to 95 percent of the nestlings dying in the first month of the breeding season ,
cunninghame said .
but every time the nest failed , the pair would re - nest . some pairs would nest up to five times in one season , to rear at best maybe one or two chicks .
and from that we got the idea that we had quite a constant supply of eggs , but they weren ' t getting a chance .
that led to the decision to take the eggs and raise the hatchlings in captivity , where they ' d be protected from the flies .
after the babies hatch , workers use forceps to hand - feed them a high - protein diet that includes scrambled egg , papaya , wasp larvae , and moth guts .
young birds are then transported back to isabela , placed in a large aviary , and provided with natural food . a month later , the doors to the aviary are opened and the youngsters join their relatives in the wild .
a person feeds a baby mangrove finch , which is being hand - raised for eventual release into its native habitat .
scientists are hard at work on possible control programs for philornis , including trapping mass numbers of male flies , sterilizing them , and releasing them back into the wild to mate ( unsuccessfully , of course ) with females .
killing the flies outright would be risky , since
we have to make sure that whatever method is used is safe and won ' t have short - term or long - term effects on the birds ,
notes charlotte causton , senior researcher at the charles darwin foundation .
another measure would involve infusing cotton balls with bird - safe insecticide and placing them in mangrove finch habitat , hoping that the birds would pick up the cotton and use it to build their nests . ( see
saving a darwin ' s finch from extinction .
)
definitely one of the project ' s long - term goals is to reestablish them in some of those mangroves where they historically were , on both isabela and fernandina .
despite the damage done by introduced predators and parasites , the rather surprising fact is that no bird species is known to have gone extinct in the galápagos since people arrived more than four centuries ago .
raising mangrove finch fledglings is expensive and labor - intensive , but , for now , it ' s the only way that cunninghame and her team know to keep that record intact .
the diminutive size and distinctive short , curved beak of the small - tree finch help to distinguish it from the other twelve species of finch that are endemic to the galapagos ( 2 ) ( 3 ) . collectively known as darwin’s finches , these remarkable birds have received a high degree of scientific attention , as the diversity of beak size and shape between the species provides strong evidence for charles darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection ( 2 ) . the male small tree finch can be readily distinguished from the female by the black colouration of the head , shoulders and chest , which develops over the course of five annual moults . otherwise , both sexes possess uniform , dull greyish - brown plumage ( 4 ) .
an insect - feeding specialist , the small tree - finch’s curved , grasping bill enables it to deftly pick adult insects and caterpillars from the surface of bark and leaves , and to bite through the bark of twigs and leaf stems to expose insect larvae . despite its specialisation , this species also consumes fruit , seeds and nectar , particularly during the dry season when these foods may form the major part of its diet ( 3 ) .
darwin’s finches usually breed during the hot and wet season when food is most abundant . monogamous , lifelong breeding pairs are common , although mate changes and breeding with more than one partner have also been observed ( 2 ) . in order to attract a female , male small tree - finches build dome - shaped nests from which they make courtship song displays . upon arrival at the display nest , the female either accepts both the nest and the male ; accepts the male but not the nest ( in which case the pair constructs a new nest ) ; or rejects both . interestingly , older males are more frequently selected as mates due to the fact that as they age , male small tree - finches become more adept at concealing their display nest amongst vegetation . these nesting sites therefore suffer less predation and are more likely to result in breeding success ( 4 ) . generally a clutch of three eggs is laid , which are incubated by the female for about twelve days , and the young brooded for a further two weeks before leaving the nest ( 2 ) . nestlings and juvenile darwin’s finches are frequently preyed upon by the short - eared owl ( asio flammeus ) , while adults are occasionally taken by galapagos hawks ( buteo galapagoensis ) and lava herons ( butorides sundevalli ) ( 2 ) .
the small tree - finch can be found on several islands in the galapagos archipelago , namely : isabela ; fernandina ; santiago ; pinzón ; santa cruz ; santa fé ; san cristóbal ; and floreana . this species was also previously found on rábida island , but is now believed to be extinct ( 5 ) .
the small tree - finch principally inhabits humid , evergreen forest located between elevations of 300 and 700 metres , but may also be found in arid lowland areas , dominated by deciduous trees , shrubs and cacti ( 3 ) .
classified as least concern ( lc ) on the iucn red list ( 1 ) .
increasing levels of human activity on the galapagos are creating significant threats to the islands’ native wildlife . darwin’s finches , in particular , are vulnerable to habitat destruction , invasion by non - native competitors and predators , and the introduction of diseases such as avian pox ( 6 ) . despite these threats , the small tree - finch is not currently considered to be threatened , as its population is large and not undergoing a major decline ( 7 ) .
the majority of the galapagos archipelago forms part of the galapagos national park , a world heritage site . a management plan is in place for the islands , and the ecuadorian government and non - governmental organisations are working to conserve the unique biodiversity of the galapagos ( 8 ) . more specifically , scientists at the charles darwin research station are working to improve our understanding of darwin ' s finches to ensure their conservation . this includes monitoring of populations and investigating introduced diseases ( 6 ) .
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endemic a species or taxonomic group that is only found in one particular country or geographic area . monogamous having only one mate during a breeding season , or throughout the breeding life of a pair .
hau , m . and wikelski , m . ( 2001 ) darwin’s finches . in : encyclopedia of life sciences . john wiley & sons , chichester . available at : urltoken
tebbich , s . , taborsky , m . , fessl , b . , dvorak , m . and winkler , h . ( 2004 ) feeding behavior of four arboreal darwin’s finches : adaptations to spatial and seasonal variability . the condor , 106 : 95 - 106 .
grant , p . r . and grant , b . r . ( 2007 ) how and why species multiply : the radiation of darwin ' s finches . princeton university press , princeton , new jersey .
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the medium tree - finch is one of darwin’s finches , a group of 13 birds endemic to the galapagos islands that helped charles darwin formulate his theory of evolution . the medium tree - finch is mostly greyish - brown , with whitish or yellowish underparts . the sexes differ in the colour of their head ; the female’s is greyish - brown whilst the male’s is blacker ( 2 ) . all of darwin’s finches evolved from a single species , but now each possess a specialized bill , adapted to their habitat and diet . the three tree - finch species all have a sharp , grasping bill , and it is believed that the medium tree - finch may be a hybrid of the large and small tree - finches ( 3 ) .
with its specialized bill , the medium tree - finch feeds on insects , nectar , young buds and leaves , by probing crevices in tree bark and searching under twigs and foliage ( 2 ) .
endemic to floreana in the galapagos islands , ecuador ( 2 ) ( 4 ) .
occurs in montane evergreen and tropical deciduous forest and in humid scrub , generally over elevations of 100 meters ( 2 ) .
classified as critically endangered ( cr ) on the iucn red list ( 1 ) .
the medium tree - finch used to be found on the coast , but is now restricted to the highlands ( 4 ) , as a result of the extensive habitat destruction and degradation on floreana , caused by agriculture and free - ranging livestock . introduced predators such as cats , dogs and rats also pose a threat ( 2 ) . the introduction of diseases , such as avian pox , may also potentially threaten finches . a population of the large ground finch has already become extinct on floreana , which illustrates the vulnerability of finch species to such threats .
the majority of the galapagos archipelago forms part of the galapagos national park , a world heritage site . a management plan is in place for the islands , and the ecuadorian government and non - governmental organisations are working to conserve the unique biodiversity of the galapagos ( 5 ) , all of which will help ensure the future of this species . more specifically , scientists at the charles darwin research station are working to improve our understanding of darwin’s finches to ensure their conservation . this includes monitoring of populations and investigating introduced diseases ( 3 ) . however , in 2009 the iucn upgraded the medium tree - finch from vulnerable to critically endangered in light of its tiny range on a small island , and indications of a rapid decline in the species due to the effects of a parasite , philornis downsi ( 2 ) .
endemic a species or taxonomic group that is only found in one particular country or geographic area .
harris , m . p . ( 1973 ) the galapagos avifauna . the condor , 75 : 265 - 278 .
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this species is affected by global climate change . to learn about climate change and the species that are affected , visit our climate change pages .
the large tree - finch is one of thirteen finch species endemic to the galapagos islands , collectively known as darwin’s finches , which each possess markedly different bill shapes and sizes ( 3 ) . such differences helped charles darwin to formulate his theory of evolution , and provide some of the most convincing evidence for “evolution in action” ( 2 ) . this species possesses a large , powerful bill , with a thick base and a markedly down - curved culmen ( 3 ) ( 4 ) . the male can be readily distinguished from the female by the black colouration of the head , shoulders and chest , which develops over the course of several annual moults ( 3 ) ( 5 ) . otherwise , both sexes possess uniform , dull olive - green plumage ( 3 ) .
the remarkable diversity of beak forms amongst darwin’s finches allows each species to feed in a specialised way ( 7 ) . with its curved , powerful beak , the large - tree finch is capable of biting through the bark of twigs , exposing adult insects and larvae such as caterpillars , which are then consumed ( 4 ) . while invertebrates form the major part of its diet , this species will also consume fruit , especially during the dry season ( 4 ) .
darwin’s finches usually breed during the hot and wet season when food is most abundant . monogamous , lifelong breeding pairs are common , although mate changes and breeding with more than one partner have also been observed . breeding pairs maintain small territories , in which they construct a small dome - shaped nest with an entrance hole in the side . generally a clutch of three eggs is laid , which are incubated by the female for about twelve days , and the young brooded for a further two weeks before leaving the nest . the short - eared owl ( asio flammeus ) , frequently preys on the nestlings and juvenile darwin’s finches , while adults are occasionally taken by galapagos hawks ( buteo galapagoensis ) and lava herons ( butorides sundevalli ) ( 2 ) .
the large tree - finch can be found on several islands in the galapagos archipelago , namely : isabela ; santa cruz ; santa fé ; fernandina ; santiago ; floreana ; marchena ; and pinta . this species was also previously found on the islands of pinzón and rábida , but is now believed to be extinct ( 3 ) .
the large tree - finch principally inhabits humid , evergreen forest located between elevations of 300 and 700 metres , but may also be found in arid lowland areas , dominated by deciduous trees , shrubs and cacti ( 4 ) ( 6 ) .
like other bird species endemic to the galapagos , the large tree - finch is affected by ongoing habitat destruction , invasive species , and introduced diseases , such as avian pox ( 7 ) . nevertheless , despite being uncommon in some parts of its range , the global population of this species is not considered to be small enough , nor undergoing a sufficiently significant decline , to warrant a threatened classification ( 6 ) .
the majority of the galapagos archipelago forms part of the galapagos national park , a world heritage site . a management plan is in place for the islands , and the ecuadorian government and non - governmental organisations are working to conserve the unique biodiversity of the galapagos ( 8 ) . more specifically , scientists at the charles darwin research station are working to improve our understanding of darwin ' s finches to ensure their conservation . this includes monitoring of populations and investigating introduced diseases ( 7 ) .
culmen a ridge along the upper bill of a bird , from the tip of the bill to the forehead . endemic a species or taxonomic group that is only found in one particular country or geographic area . monogamous having only one mate during a breeding season , or throughout the breeding life of a pair .
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thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on the iucn red list of threatened species website , we are grateful for your input .
sacc . 2005 and updates . a classification of the bird species of south america . available at : urltoken .
12 . 5 cm . chunky finch . male has black head , greyish - brown upperparts , and whitish or yellowish underparts . female has greyish - brown head .
cruz , f . , kleindorfer , s . , o ' connor , j . , vargas , h . & wiedenfeld , d .
isherwood , i . , mcclellan , r . , pople , r . , sharpe , c j , symes , a . , khwaja , n . & wright , l
, where it has a small to moderate population in the highlands , and is uncommon to rare on the coast ( harris 1982 , h . vargas and f . cruz
the maximum size of the population was estimated at 1 , 660 individuals in 2008 . it is best placed in the band 1 , 000 - 2 , 499 individuals , equating to 667 - 1 , 666 mature individuals , rounded here to 600 - 1 , 700 mature individuals .
numbers in 2008 were 39 % of those recorded in 2004 , indicating a decline outside the range expected for a fluctuating but stable population . density fell from 154 birds / km
. it is thought to be at elevated risk from fly parasitism because its only extant habitat is adjacent to cleared agricultural land with fruiting trees which are favoured by the adult fly ( s . kleindorfer
, habitat alteration by invasive plant species , and free - ranging domestic livestock ( h . vargas and f . cruz
virus ) occurs on the island and infects a significant proportion of individuals . predator marks from invasive rodents increased threefold between 2004 - 2008 , and tourist visitation to favoured
the galápagos national park was gazetted in 1959 , and includes almost all the land area of the islands . although the park incorporates most of floreana , it does not include the agricultural zone of the island , an area which was the prime habitat for medium tree - finch . in 1979 , the islands were declared a world heritage site ( jackson 1985 )
. in december 2006 , the galápagos national park began the eradication of goats and donkeys on floreana which successful reduced their population to negligible numbers ( j . o ' connor
. the galápagos national park places rat baiting stations around the critically endangered galápagos petrel breeding colony in the centre of cerro pajas , which may also reduce nest predation of medium tree - finches in the immediate area ( j . o ' connor
are currently being trialled by researchers and visiting scientists at the charles darwin research station ( j . o ' connor
. continue to monitor the population size . extend the national park to incorporate the agricultural zone on floreana . continue and extend control measures against introduced species .
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the checklists are descriptive documents of the species that are part of a concrete taxonomic group or a group of species that are part of an specific analysis .
these documents have a structure that includes a list of the authors , a description of the taxonomic group or subject , and a list of the species that are part of the list .
the checklists aren ' t updated regularly , since they require revisions from groups of authors before their publication .
a complete set of a checklist include a pdf document and a table in csv format .
gustavo jiménez - uzcátegui , david a . wiedenfeld , f . hernán vargas , howard l . snell .
nathalia tirado - sanchez , john mccosker , diego ruiz , angel chiriboga , stuart banks .
yves finet , nathalia tirado - sanchez , angel chiriboga , diego ruiz , stuart banks .
frank bungartz , frauke ziemmeck , alba yánez ayabaca , fredy nugra , andré aptroot .
anne guézou , susana chamorro , paola pozo , ana mireya guerrero , rachel atkinson , chris buddenhagen , patricia jaramillo díaz , mark gardener .
gustavo jiménez - uzcátegui , javier zabala , brian milstead , howard l . snell .
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the “charles darwin foundation for the galapagos islands” , in french “fondation charles darwin pour les îles galapagos” , association international sans but lucratif ( “aisbl” ) , has its registered office located at drève du pieuré 19 , 1160 brussels , and is registered under the trade registry of brussels under the number 0409 . 359 . 103 .
to cite this page : myers , p . , r . espinosa , c . s . parr , t . jones , g . s . hammond , and t . a . dewey . 2018 . the animal diversity web ( online ) . accessed at https : / / animaldiversity . org .
disclaimer : the animal diversity web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students . adw doesn ' t cover all species in the world , nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe . though we edit our accounts for accuracy , we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts . while adw staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable , we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control .
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the remarkable diversity of beak forms amongst darwin ' s finches allows each species to feed in a specialised way ( 7 ) . with its curved , powerful beak , the large - tree finch is capable of biting through the bark of twigs , exposing adult insects and larvae such as caterpillars , which are then consumed ( 4 ) . while invertebrates form the major part of its diet , this species will also consume fruit , especially during the dry season ( 4 ) . darwin ' s finches usually breed during the hot and wet season when food is most abundant . monogamous , lifelong breeding pairs are common , although mate changes and breeding with more than one partner have also been observed . breeding pairs maintain small territories , in which they construct a small dome - shaped nest with an entrance hole in the side . generally a clutch of three eggs is laid , which are incubated by the female for about twelve days , and the young brooded for a further two weeks before leaving the nest . the short - eared owl (
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the remarkable feeding behaviour demonstrated by the woodpecker finch involves the use of twigs and cactus spines to push , stab or lever insects and spiders from tree - holes and crevices ( 3 ) . displaying extraordinary behavioural adaptability , this species will not only seek out a variety of different feeding implements , but will also manipulate them to make them more manageable , for example by shortening cactus spines with its bill ( 7 ) . although the woodpecker finch ' s use of tools enables it to access inaccessible sources of food , particularly those with the high energy content such as spider egg sacs , it incurs a significant cost by being a relatively time consuming foraging technique . therefore , it is a behaviour most commonly exhibited by woodpecker finches in the arid zone during the dry season , when easily accessible food supplies are scarce . in contrast , during the arid zone wet season , and throughout the year in the
zone , invertebrate prey are generally abundant and easily accessible , hence the woodpecker finch is more reliant on its specialised , pointed bill to probe amongst moss and bark for prey , and rarely uses tools ( 3 ) . darwin ' s finches usually breed during the hot , wet season when food is most abundant . monogamous , lifelong breeding pairs are common , although mate changes and breeding with more than one partner have also been observed . breeding pairs maintain small territories , in which they construct a small dome - shaped nest with an entrance hole in the side . generally a clutch of three eggs is laid , which are incubated by the female for about twelve days , and the young brooded for a further two weeks before leaving the nest . the short - eared owl (


the chinese hwamei or melodious laughingthrush ( garrulax canorus ) is a passerine bird of eastern asia in the family leiothrichidae .

the name " hwamei " comes from the chinese 画眉 ( huà-méi ) and means " painted eyebrow " referring to the distinctive marking around the bird 's eyes .

the species is a popular cagebird because of its attractive song .

chinese hwamei

, where it is fairly common . it was recently split from the widespread chinese hwamei
genetic introgression between an introduced babbler , the chinese hwamei leucodioptron c . canorum , an . . .
garrulax canorus ( chinese hwamei ) ; adult , captive specimen . san diego zoo , california , usa .
hwamei ( garrulax canorus ) : in accord with most authorities , chinese hwamei ( garrulax canorus ) and taiwan hwamei ( garrulax taewanus ) are split by ebird , resulting in the common name difference between the nacc and ebird / clements .
the chinese hwamei or ( garrulax canorus ) is a passerine bird of eastern asia . the name
hwamei
comes from the chinese , means
painted eyebrows ,
referring to the distinctive mark around the eyes . the species is popular for her singing attractive .
the chinese hwamei inhabits scrubland , open woodland , secondary forest , parks and gardens , from sea level up to an altitude of 1800 m .
information on the taiwan hwamei is currently being researched and written and will appear here shortly .
zhang keyin , ruan xiangfeng , du zhiyong , gao zhenjian , xiong xiuyong , zhu jiagui , 2003 . hwamei nesting habitat selection . chinese journal of zoology , 38 ( 3 ) : 86 - 89 .
field guide to birds of north america , 2015 . hwamei . field guide to birds of north america . urltoken
miyazawa e , suzuki t , 2013 . the nest location and breeding activity of the introduced chinese hwamei garrulax canorus in hachioji , tokyo , japan . japanese journal of ornithology , 62 ( 1 ) : 38 - 44 .
li sh , yeung ckl , feinstein j , han l , le mh , wang cx , et al . ( 2009 ) sailing through the late pleistocene : unusual historical demography of an east asian endemic , the chinese hwamei (
li sh , yeung ckl , han l , mhle , wang cx , ding p , yao ct , 2010 . genetic introgression between an introduced babbler , the chinese hwamei leucodioptron c . canorum , and the endemic taiwan hwamei l . taewanus : a multiple marker systems analysis . journal of avian biology , 41 ( 1 ) : 64 - 73 .
caged birds are taken out to organised gatherings in parks in china and in other countries with a significant chinese population .
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these bird is often referred to as the huamei or hwamei in the literature , a name taken from the chinese word for thrush . it is possible this name derives from a description of the bird’s distinctive postocular white stripe , since the translation for ‘draw eyebrow’ sounds like huamei . some sources give a translation of the chinese name as ‘painted eyebrow’ ( sibagu , 2015 ) . g . canorus is also referred to as a babbler or laughing thrush .
huang zh , liu nf , liang w , zhang yy , liao xj , ruan l , et al . ( 2010 ) phylogeography of chinese bamboo partridge ,
the chinese hwamei has a very large breeding range and is described as relatively common . the population trend is difficult to determine because of uncertainty over the impacts of habitat modification on population sizes . the species is also the target of massive exploitation for the cage - bird trade , but it is not considered threatened at present .
rejecting strictly allopatric speciation on a continental island : prolonged postdivergence gene flow between taiwan ( leucodioptron taewanus , passeriformes timaliidae ) and chinese ( l . canorum canorum ) hwameis
caged birds are taken out to organised gatherings in parks in china and other countries with a significant chinese population , and so are likely to have a positive social impact .
tu hw , severinghaus ll , 2004 . geographic variation of the highly complex hwamei ( garrulax canorus ) songs . zooloogical studies , 43 ( 3 ) : 620 - 640 .
collar n , robson c , 2007 . chinese hwamei ( leucodioptron canorum ) . in : handbook of the birds of the world alive [ ed . by hoyo , j . del \ elliott , a . \ sargatal , j . \ christie , d . a . \ juana , e . de ] . barcelona , spain : lynx edicions . urltoken
identification of interspecific hybrids is often a subject of primary concern in the development of conservation strategies . here we performed a genetic analysis combining mitochondrial dna ( mtdna ) , microsatellites and single nucleotide polymorphic sites ( snps ) to assay the level of hybridization and introgression between an introduced babbler , chinese hwamei leucodioptron canorus , and its . . . [ show full abstract ]
rejecting strictly allopatric speciation on a continental island : prolonged postdivergence gene flow between taiwan ( leucodioptron taewanus , passeriformes timaliidae ) and chinese ( l . canorum canorum ) hwameis | request pdf
our last special site is erlang shan where lady amherst ' s pheasant , firethroat , brown - breasted bulbul , black - streaked scimitar - babbler , barred laughingthrush , chinese babax , streaked barwing , chinese leaf - warbler and godlewski ' s bunting can be found . we will stay at conveniently located lodges / hotels , very close to all of the birding sites .
not globally threatened . cites ii . relatively common in chinese range . in recent fieldwork in s china found at 36 sites ( 67 % of those visited ) , including shiwandashan . . .
collar , n . & robson , c . ( 2018 ) . chinese hwamei ( garrulax canorus ) . in : del hoyo , j . , elliott , a . , sargatal , j . , christie , d . a . & de juana , e . ( eds . ) . handbook of the birds of the world alive . lynx edicions , barcelona . ( retrieved from urltoken on 9 july 2018 ) .
li sh , li jw , han lx , yao ct , shi h , lei fm , yen c , 2006 . species delimitation in the hwamei garrulax canorus . ibis , 148 ( 4 ) : 698 - 706 .
following an afternoon arrival in chengdu we can check out a nearby park in search of a few species we may not see elsewhere on the tour . in particular we shall look for the endemic chinese bulbul and chinese blackbird , as well as rufous - faced warbler , ashy - throated and vinous - throated parrotbills , white - browed laughingthrush , oriental greenfinch , crested myna , yellow - billed grosbeak , and both red - billed and white - cheeked starlings . night in chengdu .
xia ss , yu aw , zhao ld , zhang hy , zheng wh , liu js , 2013 . metabolic thermogenesis and evaporative water loss in the hwamei garrulax canorus . journal of thermal biology , 38 ( 8 ) : 576 - 581 .
, which is illegally imported as a cage bird , due to its beautiful song . birds which have lost their vocal capacity are released , and a recent study found that 20 % of hwamei in a wild state in taiwan are hybrids ( y . cheng - te
citation : li y , wu x , zhang h , yan p , xue h , wu x ( 2015 ) vicariance and its impact on the molecular ecology of a chinese ranid frog species - complex ( odorrana schmackeri , ranidae ) . plos one 10 ( 9 ) : e0138757 . urltoken
yoshino t , yoshino t , sasaki h , sasaki h , asakawa m , asakawa m , kawakami k , kawakami k , miyamoto k , miyamoto k , 2003 . a parasitological survey of hwamei garrulax canorus and red - billed leiothrix leiothrix lutea ( passeriforms : terimiidae ) . japanese journal of ornithology , 52 ( 1 ) : 39 - 42 .
li jw , yeung ckl , tsai pw , lin rc , yeh cf , yao ct , han l , hung lm , ding p , wang q , li sh , 2010 . rejecting strictly allopatric speciation on a continental island : prolonged postdivergence gene flow between taiwan ( leucodioptron taewanus , passeriformes timaliidae ) and chinese ( l . canorum canorum ) hwameis . molecular ecology , 19 ( 3 ) : 494 - 507 .
abstract we isolated 20 anonymous nuclear loci ( 8556 bp in total ) from the taiwan hwamei ( garrulax taewanus ) , an endemic songbird of taiwan . a panel of nine to 15 individuals with unknown relationship was used to characterize polymorphism of these loci . we identified 46 single nucleotide polymorphic sites ( snps ) in 15 polymorphic loci . frequency of snps was one per every 186 bp in average . . . . [ show full abstract ]
. . . all rights reserved . to overcome the forces of divergence ( e . g . , slatkin , 1987 ; but see garant et al . , 2005 ; gavrilets and vose , 2005 ) , but postdivergence gene flow now seems more common in speciation processes than previously assumed ( e . g . , bank et al . , 2012 ; j . w . li et al . , 2010 ; niemiller et al . , 2008 ; won and hey , 2005 ; yeung et al . , 2011 ) . to test these alternative hypotheses of continental island speciation , we used evidence from multiple sources to evaluate the taxonomic status and the level of post - divergence gene flow of an endemic resident passerine in hainan , the hainan hwamei ( leucodioptron canorum owstoni ) , which occupies the margins of lowland secondary evergreen woodlands ( mackinnon and phillipps , 2000 ) . . . .
sichuan lies in the very heart of china and is situated on the eastern edge of the vast tibetan plateau . it is a huge province , the size of france and hosts the richest concentration of chinese specialities and endemics in this vast country . there is a remarkable wealth of birdlife waiting in its rich evergreen and temperate forests , alpine meadows , mighty snow - capped mountains and grasslands of the tibetan plateau which form some of the most spectacular scenery of any bird tour ! china is a vast country and it is impossible to do justice to the amazing diversity of superb birds in one trip , so this tour concentrates on the mountainous province of sichuan . our unique and special tour takes in the well - known sites of labahe , balang shan , mengbi shan and finishes with a spectacular visit to the tibetan plateau . we also visit several lesser - known mountains during this unique
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thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on the iucn red list of threatened species website , we are grateful for your input .
del hoyo , j . , collar , n . j . , christie , d . a . , elliott , a . , fishpool , l . d . c . , boesman , p . and kirwan , g . m . 2016 . hbw and birdlife international illustrated checklist of the birds of the world . volume 2 : passerines . lynx edicions and birdlife international , barcelona , spain and cambridge , uk .
justification : this species has an extremely large range , and hence does not approach the thresholds for vulnerable under the range size criterion ( extent of occurrence < 20 , 000 km 2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size , habitat extent / quality , or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation ) . the population may be in decline overall , but it is not believed to be decreasing sufficiently rapidly to approach the thresholds under the population trend criterion ( > 30 % decline over ten years or three generations ) . the population size has not been quantified , but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for vulnerable under the population size criterion ( < 10 , 000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be > 10 % in ten years or three generations , or with a specified population structure ) . for these reasons the species is evaluated as least concern .
. 2011 ) , suggesting that it has declined over decadal time scales . despite high trapping pressure , it remains common in china , and the species readily inhabits areas in the vicinity of human habitation ( w . duckworth
. 2011 ) . overall , the population may be in decline , but the rate of decline is probably slow to moderate .
to make use of this information , please check the < terms of use > .
calls of agitated bird from tangle above road . not seen . associated individual heard singing a little later in xc401664 and xc401665 .
song of bird in response to playback , singing from concealed perch in bamboo close to road . not seen but song astounding from mere metres away !
bird was in dense scrub 2 - 3 metres above ground . scrub on edge of clearing on steep slope above a river . rural district c . 100 km south of hangzhou . garden farms on river flats less than 100 m away . slopes above partially forested . warm humid weather .
an eyebrowed thrush turdus obscurus was seen in the exact same location the previous evening . in the morning the bird calling did not show . i think it is the eyebrowed thrush but as it was unsighted during recording i can ' t be sure .
natural song from an unseen bird perched in fern and o ' hia tangles within about 2m of ground in fairly natural habitat with 4m canopy .
a pair in low scrubby habitat near the forest edge . different song from the same bird as on xc113336 .
same bird ( s ) as on xc182992 in response to playback . [ heavy rain drops interfering with recording ]
natural song from a bird in understory of low mostly - native forest on ridge . wind .
sonogram images © xeno - canto foundation . sonogram images share the same license terms as the recording they depict .
this video is no longer available because the youtube account associated with this video has been terminated .
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myavibase allows you to create and manage your own lifelists , and produce useful reports to help you plan your next birding excursion .
there are more than 12 , 000 regional checklists in avibase , offered in 9 different taxonomies , including synonyms more than 175 languages . each checklist can be viewed with photos shared by the birding community , and also printed as pdf checklists for field use .
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combined with a declining or fluctuating range size , habitat extent / quality , or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation ) . the population may be in decline overall , but it is not believed to be decreasing sufficiently rapidly to approach the thresholds under the population trend criterion ( > 30 % decline over ten years or three generations ) . the population size has not been quantified , but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for vulnerable under the population size criterion ( < 10 , 000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be > 10 % in ten years or three generations , or with a specified population structure ) . for these reasons the species is evaluated as least concern .
recommended citation birdlife international ( 2018 ) species factsheet : garrulax canorus . downloaded from urltoken on 09 / 07 / 2018 . recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species : birdlife international ( 2018 ) iucn red list for birds . downloaded from urltoken on 09 / 07 / 2018 .
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g . canorus is a medium - sized passerine songbird native to southern and western china , vietnam and laos . in its native range it prefers woodland , montane and scrubland habitat , although it will also reside in ta . . .
g . canorus is a medium - sized passerine songbird native to southern and western china , vietnam and laos . in its native range it prefers woodland , montane and scrubland habitat , although it will also reside in tall grass , reeds and gardens . it is thought that the population in its native range is in slow decline due to trapping and other pressures . due to its popularity as a caged songbird , g . canorus has been introduced to japan , peninsular malaysia , singapore , taiwan and hawaii . in japan , singapore and hawaii escapees and released birds have established breeding populations . the birds are sedentary and have spread slowly in the surrounding areas . the effects of these introductions on native species are only just starting to be monitored in japan . in hawaii , it is thought that g . canorus may now be competing with some endemic native species for food and / or nesting sites , and it could possibly have contributed to the likely extinction of myadestes myadestinus , an endemic species of kauai .
the taxonomy of garrulax spp . and related birds is confusing due to unclear interspecific relationships ( lou et al . , 2009 ) . they are often described as belonging to the timiliidae ( a family in the superfamily sylvioidea ) as well as the leiothrichidae .
three subspecies of garrulax canorus are often described in the literature : g . canorus canorus , g . canorus owstoni and g . canorus taewanis , that broadly speaking are found in central and southern mainland china , hainan island , and taiwan , respectively .
after collar ( 2006 ) , g . canorus was split into two separate species : g . canorus and g . taewanus . phylogenetic analysis ( li et al . , 2006 ) also suggested that g . canorus should be delimited into two species , g . canorus and g . taewani . the same study also suggested that the status of the subspecies g . canorus owstoni should remain until more analysis has taken place .
g . canorus is a medium - sized passerine songbird , 21 - 25 cm long , weighing 49 - 75 g , with broad rounded wings , a fan - shaped tail and weak flight .
for individuals native to mainland china , plumage is reddish - brown with dark streaks on the crown , back and throat . flight feathers are darker brown and the tail fathers have dark bars and base . the underside is a lighter reddish - brown colour and the belly is grey . the bird has a blue - white eye ring that extends backwards to form a distinctive postocular stripe . inner orbital skin is blue and irises vary from brown to pale green - brown / yellow . legs vary from pink to yellow . g . canorus has a generalised yellow bill .
the sexes look similar , although the song of the male is far more elaborate , varied and rich . the song starts out low then gradually increases in volume and pitch . the female generally produces a series of more monotone calls that , when produced near the male , cause him to sing .
birds on hainan island , off the south coast of china , have plumage that is more olive - coloured and have a paler underside .
for birds native to taiwan , the upper plumage is a grey - olive colour , the crown and nape are more buff and heavily streaked , and the eye ring and postocular stripe are absent .
g . canorus is native to southern and western china , vietnam and northern laos . it is now scarce in its former range in vietnam , possibly due to trapping pressure ( avibase , 2015 ; birdlife international , 2015 ) .
although g . canorus is ranked as least concern by iucn ( 2015 ) , it has been suggested by some sources that trapping pressure and other factors may be causing a moderate decline in its natural range ( avibase , 2015 ) and some measures are being taken to protect its habitat .
has been introduced to japan , peninsular malaysia , singapore , taiwan and hawaii . it has established breeding populations in japan , singapore and the hawaiian islands of kauai , oahu , maui and hawaii following accidental and deliberate introductions ( alien species in
the distribution in this summary table is based on all the information available . when several references are cited , they may give conflicting information on the status . further details may be available for individual references in the distribution table details section which can be selected by going to generate report .
listing proposal , 1999 ; clements et al . , 2014 ; avibase , 2015 ; ebird , 2015
listing proposal , 1999 ; clements et al . , 2014 ; birdlife international , 2015
g . canorus ( leucodioptron canorum canorum ) considered a threat to the genetic integrity of the endemic g . taewanus
g . canorus was introduced to japan as a cage bird in the 1980s . populations in japan have expanded significantly since its arrival in the 1980s . import , transport and possession of the bird are now prohibited in japan under the invasive alien species act ( invasive species of japan , 2015 ) .
wherever g . canorus is imported and kept as a cage bird there is the potential risk that birds could escape and breed .
g . canorus is found in scrubland , woodland , forest regions , tall grass , reeds , bamboo , parks and gardens . it can also be found in abandoned urban areas . in china , it is usually found up to 1800 m above sea level . a comparison of rainfall maps and bird sighting maps for china and hawaii island suggests that g . canorus prefers to live in subtropical , continental or temperate areas that are wet for much of the year .
the species is fairly terrestrial in habit , foraging among leaf litter for insects and fruits . nests have been found in forests , garden shrubs and hedgerows ( miyazawa and suzuki , 2013 ) .
the population endemic to taiwan is mostly found in secondary woodland and in foothills and low mountains with ficus - machillus and machilus - castanopsis vegetation up to 1200 m above sea level ( birdlife international , 2015 .
there do not seem to be any major crops affected by g . canorus , presumably as it is mostly insectivorous .
g . canorus may compete with native bird species for food and nest sites . in hawaii , birds that may have been affected are the kamao ( myadestes myadestinus ) , now classified as extinct , and the puaiohi ( myadestes palmeri ) , classified as critically endangered ( iucn , 2015 ) .
the g . canorus karyotype is 2n = 78 ( guo and dong , 1991 ) .
there are several nucleotide sequences from g . canorus and closely related species / subspecies in genbank ( ncbi , 2014 ) .
molecular genetic studies on g . canorus have focused on species delimitation , due to the complex intergeneric relationships in the polyphyletic genus garrulax . li et al . ( 2006 ) conducted phylogenetic analysis using the entire mitochondrial cyt b gene . they found that the basal clade was g . canorus taewanus , which split from the other taxa around 1 . 5 million years ago . it was also found that g . canorus owstoni diverged from g . canorus canorus 0 . 6 million years ago . as a result , it was suggested that it should be delimited into the two species : g . canorus and g . taewanus ( having previously been considered as two subspecies ) . a later study using 18 nuclear loci suggested that divergence had occurred 2 million years earlier than the mitochondrial dna study has suggested , and also showed that there had been gene flow between the two species post - divergence ( li et al . , 2010a )
hybridization between g . canorus canorus and g . canorus taewanus on taiwan was investigated by li et al . ( 2010b ) . of the birds sampled , 20 . 3 % were probably hybrids .
is monogamous . in its natural range it breeds from march to august . in hawaii , it breeds from april to july ( field guide to
the large , cup - shaped nests have been found in forests , garden shrubs , bamboo clumps and hedgerows from approx . 139 to 208 cm above the ground ( miyazawa and suzuki , 2013 ) . nesting material includes grasses , bamboo leaves and roots . another study found nests in bushes to be close to ground level in forests ( average height above ground was 15 . 6 cm ) and were made from a larger range of plant materials and lined . it was suggested that nesting habit varied according to the availability of cover at 1 m above ground , height of other vegetation and slope position ( zhang et al . , 2003 ) .
typically g . canorus lays 2 - 5 blue or blue - green eggs . occasionally these may be speckled . it is possible that egg colour is related to social interactions in some garrulax spp . ( campbell and lack , 2010 ) .
eggs are incubated by the female for 13 - 16 days , with a similar nesting period . both parents feed the chicks , and there are typically 1 - 2 broods per year .
g . canorus has a low basal metabolic rate , a narrow thermal neutral zone , and minimal tolerance of water restriction ; normal traits for birds from warm , mesic environments ( xia et al . , 2013 ) .
g . canorus has a thin triangular tongue with many setae and backward pointing comb papillae at the base . it has a relatively developed small intestine accounting for 87 - 89 % of the intestinal tract total length . the liver is large and divides into two ( sun et al . , 2010 ) .
captive birds can live to be 18 years old , although it is assumed that wild birds do not live this long .
g . canorus is a non - migratory sedentary bird and this is likely to have contributed to its diverse social behaviours . birds tend to associate in small groups and it has been suggested that garrulax spp . may defend group territories and adopt cooperative breeding strategies ( campbell and lack , 2010 ) .
not as gregarious as other similar species , g . canorus is more likely to be found skulking and foraging among leaf litter in pairs or small groups .
where g . canorus is introduced and living in gardens , it has been described as not shy ( allen , 2012 ) , although this could be due to the fact that there is less dense scrub cover for the birds to hide in compared to the wild .
mainly insectivorous , g . canorus may switch to foraging for seeds in crop fields after the crops have been harvested .
in hubei province , china , was estimated at 1 . 0 - 1 . 2 million (
there is some evidence that populations are expanding in some areas of japan ( arase , 2014 ) .
its diet consists mainly of insects , especially in the breeding season , including locust eggs ( locustidae ) and ants ( formicidae ) . g . canorus also eats seeds and sometimes cultivated maize ( zea ) and fruits ( collar and robson , 2007 ) .
during crop growth the bird’s diet is mostly insect - based , and it may eat more seeds after crops have been harvested .
as its diet mainly consists of insects g . canorus is loosely restricted to areas where these are abundant in vegetation and leaf litter . nests tend to be above 139 cm off the ground ( although can be as low as 40 cm ) , so vegetation is required .
warm average temp . > 10°c , cold average temp . > 0°c , wet all year
warm average temp . > 10°c , cold average temp . > 0°c , dry summers
continental climate , wet all year ( warm average temp . > 10°c , coldest month < 0°c , wet all year )
continental climate with dry summer ( warm average temp . > 10°c , coldest month < 0°c , dry summers )
g . canorus does not migrate and has fairly weak flight . studies in japan have shown that fledglings do not disperse far from the area in which they are raised ( miyazawa and suzuki , 2013 ) .
g . canours was accidentally introduced to singapore and has established small populations , with breeding reported on sentosa island , just south of singapore ( allen , 2012 ) .
as the most popular cage bird in china that has been exported to other areas , there have been several accidental introductions of g . canorus . it is assumed that movement of g . canorus outside of its natural range has been mostly due to the trade in cage birds .
g . canorus has been introduced into taiwan , where it hybridising with g . taewanus ( li et al . 2010b ) . it was imported to taiwan , despite the similar g . taewanus there , because of the superior quality of its song . it is thought that when individual birds stopped singing they were released into the wild and , along with escaped birds , founded the population in taiwan .
g . canorus was also introduced to hawaii as a cage bird . escaped birds were able to colonise this new territory and it is now widespread in many of the hawaiian islands . a large fire in honolulu in 1900 allowed it to escape out of the city into oahu ( lever , 2010 ) .
introduced populations in peninsular malaysia did not breed and have possibly already died out ( allen , 2012 ) .
trade in the species as a cage bird is likely to have a positive local economic impact . for instance , over 100 , 000 of these birds are traded per year in shanghai and beijing alone (
there is also evidence that g . canorus may compete with native species in japan ; however , as of 2004 , serious adverse effects of these established populations had not been reported in japan ( eguchi and amano , 2004 ) .
li et al . ( 2010b ) suggested that hybridisation between g . canorus and g . taewani could be potentially threatening the evolutionary integrity of the g . taewani population in taiwan . the study suggested that prevention of further hybridization should be a primary management concern in taiwan .
a popular cage bird in china . trade in the species as a cage bird is likely to have a positive local economic impact . over 100 , 000 of these birds are traded per year in shanghai and beijing alone (
( especially females , whose song is less rich ) is also traded as food in china . it has been estimated that many thousands of birds per year may be removed from the wild in the country to be traded as either cage birds or for meat (
g . canorus is similar to the spot - breasted scimitar - babbler ( pomatorhinus mcclellandi ) and the streak - breasted scimitar - babbler ( pomatorhinus ruficollis ) .
there is evidence that the song of mainland g . canorus is more complex than that of g . taewanus ( tu and severinghaus , 2004 ) .
it is unlikely that the general public is aware of any issues with g . canorus as an introduced species since the bird does not have significant impacts on livelihood or economics .
there are no studies detailing the control of g . canorus in the wild . control measures for this species in areas where there are established breeding populations appear to be limited to legislation involving the export , import and sale of g . canorus .
the council of agriculture in taiwan banned the sale of g . canorus in 2002 in an attempt to prevent the pet trade that has resulted in the release of the species and its hybridization with the endemic g . taewanus .
evidence for direct causal effects between g . canorus and the decline of native species is limited at present , and appears to be complicated by the presence of other alien species in the study areas .
long term studies in areas where the populations are expanding , such as areas of japan and singapore , to explore their effects on the native flora and fauna , would be beneficial .
research and monitoring on hawaiian islands where the birds are not currently widespread would provide baseline studies for any potential invasion by g . canorus , so that action can be taken swiftly if the birds do begin to colonise .
there are few reports in the literature that specifically discuss physical control and management of the spread of g . canorus either in their native range or elsewhere .
there are some studies on parasites of g . canorus in japan ( yoshino et al . , 2003 ) , and viruses carried by the birds in vietnam ( takakuwa et al . , 2013 ) , but research on whether these birds are vectors for parasites and diseases that could affect native species is absent .
research on whether there is a strong illegal export trade of g . canorus from its native ranges , and whether this poses a threat of further introductions to new areas , is required .
allen j , 2012 . field guide to the birds of peninsular malaysia and singapore , 2nd edition . oxford , uk : oxford university press , 322 .
arase t , 2014 . bird fauna observed in terasawayama research forest at shinshu university from 2004 to 2013 . bulletin shinshu university alpine field center , no . 12 : 107 - 114 .
birdforum , 2015 . birdforum - the net ' s largest birding community . urltoken
campbell b , lack e , 2010 . a dictionary of birds . london , uk : bloomsbury publishing .
clements jf , schulenberg ts , iliff mj , roberson d , fredericks ta , sullivan bl , wood cl , 2014 . the ebird / clements checklist of birds of the world : version 6 . urltoken
collar nj , 2006 . a partial revision of the asian babblers ( timaliidae ) . forktail , 22 : 85 - 112 .
eguchi k , amano he , 2004 . spread of exotic birds in japan . ornithological science , 3 ( 1 ) : 3 - 11 .
foster jt , robinson sk , 2007 . introduced birds and the fate of hawaiian rainforests . conservation biology , 21 ( 5 ) : 1248 - 1257 . urltoken
guo c , dong y , 1991 . analysis of karyotypes in four species of wild birds from anhui . journal of anhui normal university , 3 : 50 - 54 .
invasive species of japan , 2015 . invasive species of japan . , japan : national institute for environmental studies . urltoken
kawakami k , yamaguchi y , 2004 . the spread of the introduced melodious laughing thrush garrulax canorus in japan . ornithological science , 3 ( 1 ) : 13 - 21 .
lever c , 2010 . timaliidae ( babblers and parrot - bills ) , melodious laughing thrush , garrulax canorus . in : naturalised birds of the world . london , uk : a & c black , 173 .
liang wei , cai yan , yang canchao , 2013 . extreme levels of hunting of birds in a remote village of hainan island , china . bird conservation international , 23 ( 1 ) : 45 - 52 . urltoken
lou l , qu yh , han lx , li sh , lei fm , 2009 . phylogenetic analysis of laughingthrushes ( timaliidae : garrulax ) and allies based on mitochondrial and nuclear dna sequences . zoologica scripta , 38 ( 1 ) : 9 - 22 .
ncbi , 2014 . genbank . bethseda , maryland , usa : national center for biodiversity information . urltoken
sibagu , 2015 . list of bird species of china . birds of china . urltoken
sun jx , zhang j , mi zp , cheung yq , guo l , 2010 . preliminary morphological observations on the digestive system of garrulax canorus . sichuan journal of zoology , 29 ( 2 ) : 267 - 271 .
takakuwa h , yamashiro t , le mq , phuong ls , ozaki h , tsunekuni r , usui t , ito h , yamaguchi t , ito t , murase t , ono e , otsuki k , 2013 . the characterization of low pathogenic avian influenza viruses isolated from wild birds in northern vietnam from 2006 to 2009 . comparative immunology , microbiology & infectious diseases , 36 ( 6 ) : 581 - 590 . urltoken
us fish and wildlife service , 2006 . in : revised recovery plan for hawaiian forest birds . us fish and wildlife service , 622 pp .
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all ranks domain kingdom subkingdom phylum subphylum superclass class subclass infraclass superorder order suborder infraorder superfamily family subfamily tribe subtribe genus subgenus species subspecies variety group ( polytypic ) group ( monotypic ) species split life sp . ssp . intra - specific hybrid interspecific hybrid intergeneric hybrid species pair
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formerly treated as conspecific with g . taewanus , but differs significantly in plumage , iris colour , morphometrics and genetics , and to some degree in voice . genetic differentiation also used to suggest race owstoni could be treated specifically # r . proposed race mengliensis ( described from menglian , sw yunnan ) probably best included in nominate # r . two subspecies recognized .
( linnaeus , 1758 ) – se china from s gansu , s shaanxi , hubei , se henan and s jiangsu s to yunnan ( except nw ) , guangxi and guangdong , also e laos and vietnam ( s to nc annam ) .
21–24 cm ; 49–75 g . relatively plain medium - sized laughingthrush , warm brown with darker streaking on head and breast , and with bold white eyering and postocular . . .
song by male rich , varied , quite high - pitched , including regular repetition and some mimicry ; . . .
shrublands , open woodland , thickets , scrub , bamboo , reeds , tall grass , gardens , vacant lots in . . .
mar–aug ; multi - brooded . nest is reported to be a large cup , outwardly rough but with well - defined walls , made of leaves ( including . . .
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recently split from a broader timaliidae . to date , traditionally recognized genera cutia , kupeornis , phyllanthus , turdoides , garrulax , babax ( now in garrulax ) , heterophasia , leiothrix , minla , liocichla and actinodura have been recovered as members of a clade separate from those now placed in timaliidae or pellorneidae ; however , garrulax , actinodura , minla , heterophasia and turdoides , as typically circumscribed , have also been discovered to be polyphyletic . as a result , genetic data available to date # r # r # r # r # r ( many species have not been screened ) can be interpreted in various ways , permitting for a smaller number of larger genera , or many more genera characterized by fewer species , so listing presented here is provisional and dependent on additional molecular data for most of the as yet untested taxa . family name has been spelt in variety of different ways ; above is the original spelling , which is correctly formed and so must be used # r .
genera leucodioptron , stactocichla , ianthocincla , dryonastes , rhinocichla , melanocichla and babax all provisionally sunk within a re - expanded garrulax , but denser taxon sampling for dna might necessitate restoration of at least some of these , given morphological and sometimes vocal or other differences shown by representative taxa # r .
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the ebird taxonomy is a hierarchical approach to creating a species list for data entry and listing purposes across the world . you can download an excel version of the ebird taxonomy at the bottom of the page . since understanding exactly what is meant by every bird species or taxon on a given list is an essential part of reporting your sightings , we detail our approach below to help clarify any questions .
the ebird taxonomy is much more than a list of species . it includes every field - identifiable taxon that could be relevant for birders to report . the taxonomic categories are each dealt with differently in ebird output and the eight categories are clearly indicated in the downloadable file below ( a ninth category , clements ssp . , is available only in the clements checklist ) . the eight ebird categories are as follows :
hybrid between two issf ( subspecies or subspecies groups ) , e . g . ,
distinctly - plumaged domesticated varieties that may be free - flying ( these do not count on personal lists ) e . g . ,
our species and subspecies taxonomy follows the clements checklist . the clements checklist is a global bird taxonomy which follows regional authorities . in the new world , the clements checklist largely defers to the two aos committees - - the north american classification committee ( nacc ) and the south american classification committee ( sacc ) - - with the goal of near - complete compliance . the few departures from their taxonomy and nomenclature tend to be in the handful of the cases where the two committees are not in agreement , or where one or both committees makes a taxonomic or nomenclatural decision that is at odds with prevailing usage elsewhere in the world . in the latter case , this most often applies to very rare vagrants in north america ( e . g . , siberian stonechat , dusky thrush ) . all such departures are listed in detail in appendix a ( nacc ) and appendix b ( sacc ) .
the ebird taxonomy ( v2017 ) is current with clements v2017 which is itself current with the 57th supplement to the aos - nacc check - list and the aos - sacc check - list through 22 apr 2017 ( the nacc issues updates once a year in august , whereas the sacc updates their taxonomy continually . )
clements updates occur once a year in the late summer / autumn , and are documented in full , and can be downloaded directly here . the downloadable list is very useful since this checklist includes a description of the world range for each species and subspecies as well . ebird taxonomic updates coincide with the clements updates in august .
the clements checklist includes identifiable groups , which we also use in ebird . identifiable groups - - which ebird refers to as issf ( identifiable subspecific form ) - - are taxonomic units below the species level that follow subspecific boundaries as defined by the clements checklist . these may be a formally described subspecies ,
junco hyemalis hyemalis / carolinensis . . . . . dark - eyed junco ( slate - colored )
junco hyemalis [ oreganus group ] . . . . dark - eyed junco ( oregon )
these groups or issfs allows ebirders to make note of identifiable differences ( which may be helpful if the species are later split ) to study the distribution and abundance of different subspecific forms where they both occur . we encourage ebirders to use these groups to report whenever possible ; note that you can always add any species or group to your checklist by clicking
rare species
and using the
add a species
box .
the clements checklist is a work in progress . new species are described each year and new splits are justified in print almost weekly . in addition to keeping up with these rapid advances in bird taxonomy , the clements team also endeavors to add a number of new subspecies groups to the checklist in the coming years . assistance is welcome , especially from south america and the old world .
in addition to the formal taxonomic concepts that are included in the clements checklist , the ebird taxonomy includes an expanded list of other bird taxa that birders may report . like the clements list , we have rules governing the nomenclature and taxonomic placement of these birds , so that they appear in predictable places on any bird list . these additional categories of bird taxa are listed below , and are identified accordingly in our ebird taxonomy .
we have made an effort to include many known hybrids that occur in the wild . while this is not a list of every single hybrid combination reported , we have tried to include those that are frequent enough and distinctive enough that they might be reported by birders . these range from the common combinations like
american black duck x mallard
and
western x glaucous - winged gull
to considerably rarer combinations like
berylline hummingbird
and
white - throated sparrow x dark - eyed junco .
note that the hybrid names always follow phylogenetic sequence , with the first species in sequence coming first in the hybrid name . hybrids are listed immediately following the issf groups in the second parent species in the sequence . all hybrids are followed by the parenthetical note
( hybrid )
- - thus you can review all hybrids by searching for ( hybrid ) within the
find a species
text box during checklist entry .
we also include intergrades , where hybridization between two subspecies or issfs produces an identifiable cross . for example , since the two forms of green - winged teal ( american and eurasian ) are distinctive and each is treated as an issf in the ebird taxonomy , we consider the hybrid result of a mixed pairing to be an intergrade .
spuhs ? what is a spuh , you ask ? for difficult to identify groups ( like flycatchers ) or distant birds ( hawkwatchers regularly cope with this problem ) , birders will often record their identifications only to the genus level , or to some other level above species .
spuh
is our affectionate term for birds not identified to the species level . examples include : empidonax sp . , scoter sp . , accipiter sp . , or duck sp . many birders keep track of these sightings , and they can be tracked in ebird as well .
note that we have two ways of tracking spuhs . some are listed with the group name and
sp .
but when there are only two members of a species pair are possible , we instead have opted to list these with a slash . for example , we do not use
murre sp .
but instead list
common / thick - billed murre .
the often - used
dowitcher sp .
is instead listed as
short - billed / long - billed dowitcher .
other useful listings include : greater / lesser yellowlegs , semipalmated / western sandpiper , and parasitic / pomarine jaeger . we refer to each of these as a slash in our taxonomy .
you can review the available spuhs by searching for
sp .
in the
find a species
box and you can review all slash combos by searching for
/
.
in some cases , there are additional bird entities that can ' t be described with a formal scientific name . these may include new species ( or suspected new species ) that birders are already reporting and documenting . since the clements checklist will not add them until the formal description has appeared in a peer - reviewed paper , it can be years ( or decades ) until the species would be available via that list . collecting data on these entities is important , so we include them as a
form
, which is a catch - all for additional birds which we want birders to report , but which do not yet have a formal scientific name ( some of them may never have such a name ) . we expect to expand this list in the future to include other yet - to - be - described species .