Newtonia (bird)
Encyclopedia
Newtonia is a genus
of passerine
bird
s containing four species. They were formerly classified in the Old World warbler
family Sylviidae or Old World flycatcher
family Muscicapidae but have recently been shown to belong to the vanga
family Vangidae.
They are endemic to Madagascar
where they occur in forest
or scrubland. They forage in pairs for insect
s, often joining mixed-species feeding flock
s.
They are small plump birds, about 12 centimetres in length. They have slender bills
and usually have a pale eye. Their plumage
is mainly grey or brown, paler on the underparts. They have loud, repeated songs
.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of passerine
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s containing four species. They were formerly classified in the Old World warbler
Old World warbler
The "Old World Warblers" is the name used to describe a large group of birds formerly grouped together in the bird family Sylviidae. The family held over 400 species in over 70 genera, and were the source of much taxonomic confusion. Two families were split out initially, the cisticolas into...
family Sylviidae or Old World flycatcher
Old World flycatcher
The Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae is a large family of small passerine birds mostly restricted to the Old World. These are mainly small arboreal insectivores, many of which, as the name implies, take their prey on the wing.-Characteristics:...
family Muscicapidae but have recently been shown to belong to the vanga
Vanga
The vangas are a group of little-known small to medium-sized passerine birds restricted to Madagascar and the Comoros. They are usually classified as the family Vangidae. There are about 22 species, depending on taxonomy...
family Vangidae.
They are endemic to Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
where they occur in forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
or scrubland. They forage in pairs for insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s, often joining mixed-species feeding flock
Mixed-species feeding flock
A mixed-species feeding flock, also termed a mixed-species foraging flock, mixed hunting party or informally bird wave, is a flock of usually insectivorous birds of different species, that join each other and move together while foraging...
s.
They are small plump birds, about 12 centimetres in length. They have slender bills
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
and usually have a pale eye. Their plumage
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
is mainly grey or brown, paler on the underparts. They have loud, repeated songs
Bird song
Bird vocalization includes both bird calls and bird songs. In non-technical use, bird songs are the bird sounds that are melodious to the human ear. In ornithology and birding, songs are distinguished by function from calls.-Definition:The distinction between songs and calls is based upon...
.
Species list
List of species in taxonomic order:- Dark NewtoniaDark NewtoniaThe Dark Newtonia is a species of bird in the Vangidae family.It is endemic to Madagascar.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.-References:...
, Newtonia amphichroa - Common NewtoniaCommon NewtoniaThe Common Newtonia is a species of bird in the Vangidae family.It is endemic to Madagascar.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests....
, Newtonia brunneicauda - Archbold's NewtoniaArchbold's NewtoniaThe Archbold's Newtonia is a species of bird in the Vangidae family.It is endemic to Madagascar.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.-References:...
, Newtonia archboldi - Red-tailed NewtoniaRed-tailed NewtoniaThe Red-tailed Newtonia is a species of bird in the Vangidae family.It is endemic to Madagascar.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...
, Newtonia fanovanae