The common newtonia (''Newtonia brunneicauda'') is a species of
bird
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...
in the family
Vangidae
The family Vangidae (from ''vanga'', Malagasy language, Malagasy for the hook-billed vanga, ''Vanga curvirostris'') comprises a group of often shrike-like medium-sized birds distributed from Asia to Africa, including the vangas of Madagascar to ...
. It is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...
to
Madagascar
Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...
.
Its natural
habitat
In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...
s are subtropical or tropical dry
forest
A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense ecological community, community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, ...
s and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
It is a small bird with greyish-brown upper parts, tannish-white underparts, a black bill and golden-yellow eyes.
Taxonomy and systematics
There are two subspecies of the common newtonia:
''Newtonia brunneicauda brunneicauda,
Newton 1863-'' It is found in forested regions throughout Madagascar. ''Newtonia brunneicauda inornata'' is considered to be a synonym.
''Newtonia brunneicauda monticola,
Salomonsen 1934-'' It is found in the Ankaratra mountains of central Madagascar.
Description
It is a small, short-winged,
warbler
Various Passeriformes (perching birds) are commonly referred to as warblers. They are not necessarily closely related to one another, but share some characteristics, such as being fairly small, vocal, and insectivorous.
Sylvioid warblers
T ...
like bird with relatively long legs. It is 12 cm in length and weighs 7–14.5 g, with a wing length of 54.5 mm. Sexes look similar to each other. It has grayish brown upperparts and is pale warm
buff in colour under. The nominate species has a cold grayish brown head and upperparts, with the sides of head and neck being a lighter grayish-brown. Its tail is also grayish brown, with off-white
undertail coverts. They also have very pale yellow
irises with a slender, short, and black
bill. The lining of the mouth is yellow. Its tarsi are pale pinkish to grayish brown.
Juveniles look similar to adults, but have browner upperparts, with
rufous-brown tips on greater wing coverts and a ginger tinge on their
tertials
Flight feathers (''Pennae volatus'') are the long, stiff, asymmetrically shaped, but symmetrically paired pennaceous feathers on the wings or tail of a bird; those on the wings are called remiges (), singular remex (), while those on the tai ...
. Irises are darker than in adults.
Ecology and behaviour
Diet
It is
insectivorous
A robber fly eating a hoverfly
An insectivore is a carnivorous animal or plant which eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which can also refer to the human practice of eating insects.
The first vertebrate insectivores we ...
.
Distribution and habitat
The species is found throughout Madagascar, from sea level up until an elevation of 2,300 m.
It is found through a variety of forests and wooded habitats, but is mostly restricted to native forest.
References
common newtonia
common newtonia
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
{{Vangidae-stub