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Kagu
The kagu or cagou (''Rhynochetos jubatus'') is a crested, long-legged, and bluish-grey bird endemism, endemic to the dense mountain forests of New Caledonia. It is the only surviving member of the genus ''Rhynochetos'' and the family Rhynochetidae, although a second species has been described from the fossil record. Measuring in length, it has pale grey plumage and bright red legs. Its 'nasal corns' are a unique feature not shared with any other bird. Almost flightless, it spends its time on or near the ground, where it hunts its invertebrate prey and builds a nest of sticks on the forest floor. Both parents share incubation of a single egg (biology), egg, as well as rearing the chick. It has proven vulnerable to introduced predators and is threatened with extinction. Etymology The name kagu is derived from the Melanesian languages, Melanesian names for the species. The species is variously known as the ''kavu'' or ''kagou'' in the New Caledonian languages, Kanak language ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rhynochetidae
''Rhynochetos'' is a genus of ground-dwelling birds in the monotypic taxon, monotypic family (biology), family Rhynochetidae. It contains two species, both endemic to New Caledonia, one of which is extinct. Taxonomy ''Rhynochetos jubatus'' is the only extant species of this genus and of the family Rhynochetidae. It is closely related to birds of the tropical Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans with its closest living relative being the sunbittern (''Eurypyga helias''). Currently there are two described species of ''Rhynochetos'', however, it has been suggested that the extinct ''Rhynochetos orarius'' and the extant ''Rhynochetos jubatus'' are the same species. Species * ''Rhynochetos jubatus'' Verreaux & Des Murs, 1860 – kagu * †''Rhynochetos orarius'' Balouet & Olson, 1989 – lowland kagu Description Kagus are large, flightless birds described as something "between a small heron and a rail". Adults are about tall with uniform ash-grey plumage with distinct orange- ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rhynochetos
''Rhynochetos'' is a genus of ground-dwelling birds in the monotypic family Rhynochetidae. It contains two species, both endemic to New Caledonia, one of which is extinct. Taxonomy ''Rhynochetos jubatus'' is the only extant species of this genus and of the family Rhynochetidae. It is closely related to birds of the tropical Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans with its closest living relative being the sunbittern (''Eurypyga helias''). Currently there are two described species of ''Rhynochetos'', however, it has been suggested that the extinct ''Rhynochetos orarius'' and the extant ''Rhynochetos jubatus'' are the same species. Species * ''Rhynochetos jubatus'' Verreaux & Des Murs, 1860 – kagu * †'' Rhynochetos orarius'' Balouet & Olson, 1989 – lowland kagu Description Kagus are large, flightless birds described as something "between a small heron and a rail". Adults are about tall with uniform ash-grey plumage with distinct orange-red bills and legs. Characteristi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gruiformes
The Gruiformes ( ) are an order containing a considerable number of living and extinct bird families, with a widespread geographical diversity. Gruiform means "crane-like". Traditionally, a number of wading and terrestrial bird families that did not seem to belong to any other order were classified together as Gruiformes. These include 15 species of large cranes, about 145 species of smaller crakes and rails, as well as a variety of families comprising one to three species, such as the Heliornithidae, the limpkin, or the Psophiidae. Other birds have been placed in this order more out of necessity to place them ''somewhere''; this has caused the expanded Gruiformes to lack distinctive apomorphies. Recent studies indicate that these "odd Gruiformes" are if at all only loosely related to the cranes, rails, and relatives ("core Gruiformes"). Systematics There are only two suprafamilial clades (natural groups) among the birds traditionally classified as Gruiformes. Rails ( Ra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
New Caledonia
New Caledonia ( ; ) is a group of islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean, southwest of Vanuatu and east of Australia. Located from Metropolitan France, it forms a Overseas France#Sui generis collectivity, ''sui generis'' collectivity of the French Republic, a legal status unique in overseas France, and is enshrined in a dedicated chapter of the French Constitution. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre (New Caledonia), Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Chesterfield Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of Pines (New Caledonia), Isle of Pines, and a few remote islets. The Chesterfield Islands are in the Coral Sea. French people, especially locals, call Grande Terre , a nickname also used more generally for the entire New Caledonia. Kanak people#Agitation for independence, Pro-independence Kanak parties use the name (''pron.'' ) to refer to New Caledonia, a term coined in the 1980s from the ethnic name of the indi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sunbittern
The sunbittern (''Eurypyga helias'') is a bittern-like bird of tropical regions of the Americas, and the sole member of the family Eurypygidae (sometimes spelled Eurypigidae) and genus ''Eurypyga''. It is found in Central and South America, and has three subspecies. The sunbittern shows both morphological and molecular similarities with the kagu (''Rhynochetos jubatus'') of New Caledonia, indicating a Gondwanan origin, both species being placed in the clade Eurypygiformes.del Hoyo, J. Elliott, A. & Sargatal, J. (editors). (1996) ''Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 3: Hoatzin to Auks''. Lynx Edicions. Taxonomy The sunbittern was traditionally placed in the Gruiformes, but this was always considered preliminary. Altogether, the bird is most similar to another bird that was provisionally placed in the Gruiformes, the kagu (''Rhynochetos jubatus''). Molecular studies seem to confirm that the kagu and sunbittern are each other's closest living relatives and have a simil ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Adzebill
The adzebills, genus ''Aptornis'', were two closely related bird species, the North Island adzebill (''Aptornis otidiformis''), and the South Island adzebill (''Aptornis defossor''), of the extinct family Aptornithidae. The family was endemic to New Zealand. A tentative fossil species (''Aptornis proasciarostratus'') is known from the Miocene Saint Bathans fauna. Taxonomy Adzebills were first scientifically described in 1844 by biologist Richard Owen, who mistook them for a small species of moa. The first species named was '' Dinornis otidiformis'' (later ''Aptornis''), with the specific epithet referring to its similarity in size to the great bustard (''Otis tarda''). They have been placed in the Gruiformes but this is not entirely certain. It was also proposed to ally them with the Galloanserae. Studies of morphology and DNA sequences place them variously close to and far off from the kagu of New Caledonia, as well as the trumpeters. However, on first discovery of fo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Metaves
Metaves ("other birds") is a controversial group proposed by Fain & Houde (2004) and later rescued on the studies of Ericson ''et al.'' (2006)Ericson, P.G.P. ''et al.'' (2006Diversification of Neoaves: integration of molecular sequence data and fossils. Biology Letters, 2(4):543–547 and Hackett ''et al.'' (2008).Hackett, S.J. ''et al.'' (2008A Phylogenomic Study of Birds Reveals Their Evolutionary History ''Science'', 320(5884):1763–1768. This group consists of several lineages that diversified early in Neornithes evolution. These lineages include Strisores (hummingbirds, swifts, nightjars and allies), pigeons, sandgrouses, mesites, Eurypygae ( sunbittern and kagu), tropicbirds and Mirandornithes (flamingos and grebe Grebes () are aquatic diving birds in the order (biology), order Podicipediformes (). Grebes are widely distributed freshwater birds, with some species also found in sea, marine habitats during Bird migration, migration and winter. Most grebes f ...s), but ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jules Verreaux
Jules Pierre Verreaux (24 August 1807 – 7 September 1873) was a French botanist and ornithologist and a professional collector of and trader in natural history specimens. He was the brother of Édouard Verreaux and nephew of Pierre Antoine Delalande. Career Verreaux worked for the family business, Maison Verreaux, established in 1803 by his father, Jacques Philippe Verreaux, at Place des Vosges in Paris, which was the earliest known company that dealt in objects of natural history. The company funded collection expeditions to various parts of the world. Maison Verreaux sold many specimens to the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle to add to its collections. In 1830, while travelling in modern-day Botswana, Verreaux witnessed the burial of a Tswana people, Tswana warrior. Verreaux returned to the burial site under cover of night to dig up the African's body where he retrieved the skin, the skull and a few bones. Verreaux intended to ship the body back to France and so prepar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Powder Down
The down of birds is a layer of fine feathers found under the tougher exterior feathers. Very young birds are clad only in down. Powder down is a specialized type of down found only in a few groups of birds. Down is a fine thermal insulator and padding, used in goods such as Down jacket, jackets, bedding (duvets and featherbeds), pillows and sleeping bags. The discovery of feathers trapped in ancient amber suggests that some species of non-avian dinosaur likely possessed down-like feathers. Description and etymology The word ''down'' comes from the Old Norse word ''dúnn'', which had the same meaning as its modern equivalent. The down feather is considered to be the most "straightforward" of all feather types. It has a short or vestigial rachis (shaft), few barb (feather), barbs, and barbules that lack hooks. There are three types of down: natal down, body down and powder down. Natal down is the layer of down feathers that cover most birds at some point in their early developmen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of island countries, sixth-largest island country by area and lies east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and south of the islands of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. The Geography of New Zealand, country's varied topography and sharp mountain peaks, including the Southern Alps (), owe much to tectonic uplift and volcanic eruptions. Capital of New Zealand, New Zealand's capital city is Wellington, and its most populous city is Auckland. The islands of New Zealand were the last large habitable land to be settled by humans. Between about 1280 and 1350, Polynesians began to settle in the islands and subsequently developed a distinctive Māori culture. In 1642, the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman became the first European to sight and record New Zealand. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mesite
The mesites (Mesitornithidae) are a family of birds that are part of a clade (Columbimorphae) that include Columbiformes and Pterocliformes. They are somewhat small-bodied, flightless or near flightless birds endemic to Madagascar. All the species of this clade are listed as vulnerable. Description The mesites are forest and scrubland birds that feed on insects and seeds; brown and white-breasted mesites forage on the ground, gleaning insects from underneath leaves as well as low vegetation. The subdesert mesite uses its long bill to probe in the soil. Other birds, such as drongos and flycatchers, will follow mesites to catch any insects they flush out or miss. Mesites are vocal birds, with calls similar to that of a passerine's song, which are used for territorial defence. Two or three white eggs are laid in a stick-built nest located in a bush or on a low branch. The ''Mesitornis'' species are monogamous while ''Monias benschi'' is polygamous and, unlike the other two, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Central America
Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually defined as consisting of seven countries: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. Within Central America is the Mesoamerican biodiversity hotspot, which extends from southern Mexico to southeastern Panama. Due to the presence of several active geologic faults and the Central America Volcanic Arc, there is a high amount of seismic activity in the region, such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, which has resulted in death, injury, and property damage. Most of Central America falls under the Isthmo-Colombian cultural area. Before the Spanish expedition of Christopher Columbus' voyages to the Americas, hundreds of indigenous peoples made their homes in the area. From the year 1502 onwards, Spain ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
