Geomalia
Encyclopedia
The Geomalia, Geomalia heinrichi also known as the Sulawesi Mountain-Thrush is a rare member of the thrush
family endemic to Sulawesi
in Indonesia
. It is the only species in its monotypic
genus.
The coloration of the bird is primarily dark brown with chestnut color on the breast. The long legs, long tail and short wings struck the discoverer as reminiscent of laughingthrush
es, and the name Geomalia is itself a reference to another, superficially similar Sulawesi endemic, the Malia
, but the two species are not related.
The scientific name commemorates its discoverer, the German
explorer Gerd Heinrich.
Due to its isolation and the difficulty of getting to its habitat, the Geomalia is little-studied, and there has been some debate as to whether the species belongs in the thrush family. The species may be threatened by uncontrolled logging
and other activities that cause degradation of the Sulawesi highlands, including the grounds of legally protected lands such as Lore Lindu National Park
. It is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List
.
Thrush (bird)
The thrushes, family Turdidae, are a group of passerine birds that occur worldwide.-Characteristics:Thrushes are plump, soft-plumaged, small to medium-sized birds, inhabiting wooded areas, and often feed on the ground or eat small fruit. The smallest thrush may be the Forest Rock-thrush, at and...
family endemic to Sulawesi
Sulawesi
Sulawesi is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. In Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra have larger Indonesian populations.- Etymology :The Portuguese were the first to...
in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. It is the only species in its monotypic
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
genus.
The coloration of the bird is primarily dark brown with chestnut color on the breast. The long legs, long tail and short wings struck the discoverer as reminiscent of laughingthrush
Laughingthrush
The Laughingthrushes are the genus Garrulax of the large Old World babbler family of passerine birds. They occur in tropical Asia, with the greatest number of species occurring in the Himalaya and southern China....
es, and the name Geomalia is itself a reference to another, superficially similar Sulawesi endemic, the Malia
Malia (bird)
The Malia, Malia grata is a medium-sized babbler-like passerine. It has an olive-green plumage, yellowish head and chest, and pinkish-brown bill. The young is duller than adult. It is the only member in the genus Malia....
, but the two species are not related.
The scientific name commemorates its discoverer, the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
explorer Gerd Heinrich.
Due to its isolation and the difficulty of getting to its habitat, the Geomalia is little-studied, and there has been some debate as to whether the species belongs in the thrush family. The species may be threatened by uncontrolled logging
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
and other activities that cause degradation of the Sulawesi highlands, including the grounds of legally protected lands such as Lore Lindu National Park
Lore Lindu National Park
Lore Lindu National Park is a forested protected area on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, in the province of Central Sulawesi. The area of the national park is 2,180 km² covering both lowland and montane forests. It provides habitat to numerous rare species, including 77 bird species...
. It is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
.