| Blue-faced honeyeater | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Subspeciescyanotis,Queensland | |||
Scientific classification | |||
| Kingdom: | Animalia | ||
| Phylum: | Chordata | ||
| Class: | Aves | ||
| Order: | Passeriformes | ||
| Family: | Meliphagidae | ||
| Genus: | Entomyzon Swainson, 1825 | ||
| Species: | E. cyanotis | ||
| Binomial name | |||
| Entomyzon cyanotis (Latham, 1801) | |||
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| Range subspecies indicated
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| Synonyms | |||
Melithreptus cyanotis | |||
Theblue-faced honeyeater (Entomyzon cyanotis), also colloquially known as thebananabird, is apasserine bird of the honeyeater family,Meliphagidae. It is theonly member of itsgenus, and it is most closely related to honeyeaters of the genusMelithreptus. Threesubspecies are recognised. At around 29.5 cm (11.6 in) in length, the blue-faced species is large for a honeyeater. Itsplumage is distinctive, with olive upperparts, white underparts, and a black head and throat with white nape and cheeks. Males and females are similar in external appearance. Adults have a blue area of bare skin on each side of the face readily distinguishing them from juveniles, which have yellow or green patches of bare skin.
Found in openwoodland, parks and gardens, the blue-faced honeyeater is common in northern and eastern Australia, and southernNew Guinea. It appears to be sedentary in parts of its range, and locally nomadic in other parts; however, the species has been little studied. Its diet is mostly composed ofinvertebrates, supplemented withnectar andfruit. They often take over and renovate oldbabblernests, in which the female lays andincubates two or rarely threeeggs.
The blue-faced honeyeater was first described by ornithologistJohn Latham in his 1801 work,Supplementum Indicis Ornithologici, sive Systematis Ornithologiae. However, he described it as three separate species, seemingly not knowing it was the same bird in each case: the blue-eared grackle (Gracula cyanotis), the blue-cheeked bee-eater (Merops cyanops), and the blue-cheeked thrush (Turdus cyanous).[2][3] It was as the blue-cheeked bee-eater that it was painted between 1788 and 1797 byThomas Watling, one of a group known collectively as thePort Jackson Painter.[4]
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It was reclassified in the genusEntomyzon, which was erected byWilliam Swainson in 1825. He observed that the "Blue-faced Grakle" was the only insectivorous member of the genus, and posited that it was a link between the smaller honeyeaters and the riflebirds of the genusPtiloris.[5] The generic name is derived from theAncient Greekento-/εντο- 'inside' andmyzein/μυζειν 'to drink' or 'suck'. Thespecific epithet,cyanotis, means 'blue-eared', and combinescyano-/κυανο 'blue' withotis (a Latinised form ofωτος, the Greek genitive ofous/ους) 'ear'.[6] Swainson spelt itEntomiza in an 1837 publication,[7] andGeorge Gray wroteEntomyza in 1840.[8]
The blue-faced honeyeater is generally held to be the only member of the genus, although its plumage suggests an affinity with honeyeaters of the genusMelithreptus. It has been classified in that genus byGlen Storr,[9][10] although others felt it more closely related to wattlebirds (Anthochaera) or miners (Manorina).[11] A 2004 molecular study has resolved that it is closely related toMelithreptus after all.[12]Molecular clock estimates indicate that the blue-faced honeyeater diverged from theMelithreptus honeyeaters somewhere between 12.8 and 6.4 million years ago, in theMiocene epoch. It differs from them in its much larger size, brighter plumage, more gregarious nature, and larger patch of bare facial skin.[13]
Molecular analysis has shown honeyeaters to be related to thePardalotidae (pardalotes),Acanthizidae (Australian warblers, scrubwrens, thornbills, etc.), and theMaluridae (Australian fairy-wrens) in the large superfamilyMeliphagoidea.[14]
"Blue-faced honeyeater" has been designated as the official common name for the species by theInternational Ornithologists' Union (IOC).[15] Early naturalistGeorge Shaw had called it the blue-faced honey-sucker in 1826.[16] Other common names includewhite-quilled honeyeater andblue-eye.[17] Its propensity for feeding on the flowers and fruit of bananas in north Queensland has given it the common name ofbanana-bird.[17] A local name fromMackay in central Queensland ispandanus-bird, as it is always found aroundPandanus palms there.[18] It is calledmorning-bird from its dawn calls before other birds of the bush.Gympie is a Queenslandbushman's term.[19]Thomas Watling noted a local indigenous name wasder-ro-gang.[3]John Hunter recorded the termgugurruk (pron. "co-gurrock"), but the term was also applied to theblack-shouldered kite (Elanus axillaris).[20] It is called (minha)yeewi inPakanh, whereminha is a qualifier meaning 'meat' or 'animal', and (inh-)ewelmb inUw Oykangand andUw Olkola, whereinh- is a qualifier meaning 'meat' or 'animal', in three aboriginal languages of centralCape York Peninsula[21]
Three subspecies are recognised:
A large honeyeater ranging from 26 to 32 cm (10 to 12.5 in) and averaging 29.5 cm (11.6 in) in length. The adult blue-faced honeyeater has a wingspan of 44 cm (17.5 in) and weighs around 105 g (3.7 oz).[17] In general shape, it has broad wings with rounded tips and a medium squarish tail. The sturdy, slightly downcurved bill is shorter than the skull, and measures 3 to 3.5 cm (1.2 to 1.4 in) in length.[24] It is easily recognised by the bare blue skin around its eyes. The head and throat are otherwise predominantly blackish with a white stripe around the nape and another from the cheek. The upperparts, including mantle, back and wings, are a golden-olive colour, and the margins of the primary and secondary coverts a darker olive-brown, while the underparts are white. Juveniles that have just fledged have grey head, chin, and central parts of their breasts, with brown upperparts, and otherwise white underparts. After their next moult, they more closely resemble adults and have similar plumage, but are distinguished by their facial patches.[26] The bare facial skin of birds just fledged is yellow, sometimes with a small patch of blue in front of the eyes, while the skin of birds six months and older has usually become more greenish, and turns darker blue beneath the eye, before assuming the adult blue facial patch by around 16 months of age.[24] The blue-faced honeyeater begins its moult in October or November, starting with its primary flight feathers, replacing them by February. It replaces its body feathers anywhere from December to June, and tail feathers between December and July.[26] 422 blue-faced honeyeaters have been banded between 1953 and 1997 to monitor movements and longevity. Of these, 109 were eventually recovered, 107 of which were within 10 km (6.2 mi) of their point of banding.[27] The record for longevity was a bird banded in May 1990 inKingaroy in central Queensland, which was found dead on a road after 8 years and 3.5 months in September 1998, around 2 km (1.2 mi) away.[28]
The blue-faced honeyeater produces a variety of calls, including a piping call around half an hour before dawn, variously described aski-owt,[29]woik,queet,peet, orweet. Through the day, it makes squeaking noises while flying, and harsh squawks when mobbing. Its calls have been likened to those of theyellow-throated miner (Manorina flavigula), but are deeper. Blue-faced honeyeaters make a soft chirping around nestlings and family members.[30]
A distinctive bird, the blue-faced honeyeater differs in coloration from the duller-plumagedfriarbirds,miners andwattlebirds, and it is much larger than the similarly colouredMelithreptus honeyeaters. Subspeciesalbipennis, with its white wing-patch, has been likened to a khaki-backedbutcherbird in flight.[17]
The blue-faced honeyeater is found from theKimberleys in northwestern Australia eastwards across theTop End and into Queensland, where it is found fromCape York south across the eastern and central parts of the state, roughly east of a line connectingKarumba,Blackall,Cunnamulla andCurrawinya National Park.[31] It has a patchy distribution in New South Wales, occurring in theNorthern Rivers andNorthern Tablelands regions, and along the coast south toNambucca Heads.A single bird was observed in Collaroy on the northern beaches of Sydney on 22/9/24. To the south, it is generally absent from theCentral andSouth Coast, and is instead found west of the Great Divide across theSouth West Slopes andRiverina to theMurray River. It is common in northern Victoria and reachesBordertown in southeastern South Australia, its range continuing along the Murray. It is also found in theGrampians region, particularly in the vicinity ofStawell,Ararat andSt Arnaud, with rare reports from southwestern Victoria. The species occasionally reaches Adelaide, and there is a single record from theEyre Peninsula.[32] The altitude ranges from sea level to around 850 m (2,790 ft), or rarely 1,000 m (3,300 ft).[31]
In New Guinea, it is found fromMerauke in the far southeast of Indonesia'sPapua province and east across the Trans-Fly region of southwesternPapua New Guinea.[31] It has also been recorded from theAru Islands.[33]
The blue-faced honeyeater appears to be generally sedentary within its range, especially in much of the Northern Territory, Queensland and New South Wales. However, in many places (generally south of theTropic of Capricorn), populations may be present or absent at different times of the year, although this appears to result from nomadic, rather than seasonal, migratory movements.[27] AroundWellington in central New South Wales, birds were recorded over winter months,[34] and were more common in autumn around theTalbragar River.[35] Birds were present all year round near Inverell in northern New South Wales, but noted to be flying eastwards from January to May, and westwards in June and July.[36] InJandowae in southeastern Queensland, birds were regularly recorded flying north and east from March to June, and returning south and west in July and August, and were absent from the area in spring and summer.[37]
They live throughoutrainforest, drysclerophyll (Eucalyptus) forest, openwoodland,Pandanus thickets,paperbarks,mangroves, watercourses, and wetter areas of semi-arid regions, as well as parks, gardens, and golf courses in urban areas.[17] Theunderstory in eucalypt-dominated woodland, where the blue-faced honeyeater is found, is most commonly composed of grasses, such asTriodia, but sometimes it is made up of shrubs or small trees, such asgrevilleas, paperbarks, wattles, Cooktown ironwood (Erythrophleum chlorostachys) or billygoat plum (Terminalia ferdinandiana).[31] One study inKakadu National Park found that blue-faced honeyeaters inhabited mixed stands of eucalypts andPandanus, but were missing from pure stands of either plant.[38]
The social organisation of the blue-faced honeyeater has been little studied to date. Encountered in pairs, family groups or small flocks, blue-faced honeyeaters sometimes associate with groups ofyellow-throated miners (Manorina flavigula). They mob potential threats, such as goshawks (Accipiter spp.),rufous owls (Ninox rufa), andPacific koels (Eudynamys orientalis). There is some evidence of cooperative breeding, with some breeding pairs recorded with one or more helper birds. Parents will dive at and harass intruders to drive them away from nest sites, including dogs, owls, goannas,[30] and even anankeen night-heron (Nycticorax caledonicus).[39] A study published in 2004 of remnant patches of forest in central Queensland, an area largely cleared for agriculture, showed a reduced avian species diversity in areas frequented by blue-faced honeyeaters or noisy miners. This effect was more marked in smaller patches. The study concluded that conserved patches of woodland containing the two aggressive species should be larger than 20 ha (44 acres) to preserve diversity.[40]
Social birds, blue-faced honeyeaters can be noisy when they congregate.[30] When feeding in groups, birds seem to keep in contact with each other by soft chirping calls.[30] In Mackay, a bird would fly up 10 or 12 metres (33 or 39 ft) above the treetops calling excitedly to its flock, which would follow and fly around in what was likened to an aerial corroboree, seemingly at play.[18] A single bird was recorded aping and playing with an immatureAustralian magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen) inProserpine, Queensland.[30] The blue-faced honeyeater has been reported to be fond of bathing;[41] a flock of 15–20 birds was observed diving into pools one bird at a time, while others were perched in surrounding treetops preening.[42]
The parasiteAnoncotaenia globata (a worldwide species not otherwise recorded from Australia) was isolated from a blue-faced honeyeater collected in North Queensland in 1916.[43] Thehabronemenematode,Cyrnea (Procyrnea) spirali, has also been isolated from this among other honeyeater species.[44] The nasal mite,Ptilonyssus philemoni, has been isolated from thenoisy friarbird (Philemon corniculatus) and blue-faced honeyeater.[45]
The blue-faced honeyeater probably breeds throughout its range.[32] The breeding season is from June to January, with one or two broods raised during this time. The nest is an untidy, deep bowl of sticks and bits of bark in the fork of a tree,Staghorn orbird's nest ferns,[46] or grasstree.[30]Pandanus palms are a popular nest site in Mackay.[18] They often renovate and use the old nests of other species, most commonly thegrey-crowned babbler (Pomatostomus temporalis), but also thechestnut-crowned babbler (P. ruficeps), other honeyeaters, includingnoisy (Philemon corniculatus), little (P. citreogularis) andsilver-crowned friarbirds (P. argenticeps), thenoisy miner (Manorina melanocephala) and thered wattlebird (Anthochaera carunculata), and artamids, such as the Australian magpie andbutcherbird species, and even themagpie-lark.[30] InCoen, an old babbler nest in a paperbark (Melaleuca), which had been lined with messmate bark, had been occupied by blue-faced honeyeaters and re-lined with strips of paperbark.[47] Two or, rarely, three eggs are laid, 22 mm × 32 mm (0.9 in × 1.3 in) and buff-pink splotched with red-brown or purplish colours.[46] The female alone incubates the eggs over a period of 16 or 17 days.[48]
Like those of all passerines, the chicks arealtricial; they are born blind and covered only by sparse tufts of browndown on their backs, shoulders and parts of the wings. By four days they open their eyes, and pin feathers emerge from their wings on day six, and the rest of the body on days seven and eight.[48] Both parents feed the young, and are sometimes assisted by helper birds.[30] ThePacific koel (Eudynamys orientalis) andpallid cuckoo (Cuculus pallidus) have been recorded as brood parasites of the blue-faced honeyeater, and thelaughing kookaburra recorded as preying on broods.[49]
The blue-faced honeyeater generally forages in the branches and foliage of trees, in small groups of up to seven birds. Occasionally, larger flocks of up to 30 individuals have been reported,[41] and the species has been encountered in amixed-species foraging flock with thelittle friarbird (Philemon citreogularis).[39] The bulk of their diet consists of insects, including cockroaches, termites, grasshoppers, bugs such aslerps, scale (Coccidae) and shield bugs (Pentatomidae), beetles such as bark beetles,chafers (subfamilyMelolonthinae),click beetles (genusDemetrida),darkling beetles (generaChalcopteroides andHomotrysis),leaf beetles (genusParopsis),ladybirds of the genusScymnus,weevils such as the pinhole borer (Platypus australis), and members of the generaMandalotus,Polyphrades andPrypnus, as well as flies, moths, bees, ants, and spiders.[50] Blue-faced honeyeaters have been reported preying on small lizards.[51] Prey are caught mostly bysallying, although birds also probe andglean.[51] InKakadu National Park, birds prefer to hunt prey between the leaf bases of the screw palm (Pandanus spiralis).[38]
The remainder of their diet is made up of plant material, such aspollen,berries, andnectar, from such species as grasstrees (Xanthorrhoea) and scarlet gum (Eucalyptus phoenicea), and from cultivated crops, such as bananas or particularly grapes.[50] In general, birds prefer feeding at cup-shaped sources, such as flowers of the Darwin woollybutt (Eucalyptus miniata), Darwin stringybark (E. tetrodonta) and long-fruited bloodwood (Corymbia polycarpa), followed by brush-shapedinflorescences, such asbanksias ormelaleucas, gullet-shaped inflorescences such asgrevilleas, with others less often selected.[51]
Usually very inquisitive and friendly birds, they will often invade a campsite, searching for edible items, including fruit, insects, and remnants from containers of jam or honey, and milk is particularly favoured.[19] Parent birds feed the young on insects, fruit and nectar, and have been recorded regurgitating milk to them as well.[19]
Keeping blue-faced honeyeaters in an aviary in New South Wales requires a Class 2 Licence. Applicants must show they have appropriate housing, and at least two years' experience of keeping birds.[52] Blue-faced honeyeaters are exhibited atLincoln Park Zoo in Chicago,[53]Philadelphia Zoo,[54]Columbus Zoo and Aquarium (Ohio),Birmingham Zoo (Alabama), andTracy Aviary (Utah),[55]Woodland Park Zoo (Seattle)[56]Children's Zoo at Celebration Square (Michigan) in the United States,[57]Marwell Zoo in England,Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland andTaronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia.[58]
