Rufous-throated White-eye
Encyclopedia
The Rufous-throated White-eye (Madanga ruficollis) is a species of bird
in the Zosteropidae family. It is monotypic
within the genus Madanga, with no close relatives, and is endemic to the moist, mountainous, subtropical and tropical forests of the Indonesia
n island Buru
. The bird was initially described from four specimens collected in April 1922 from one area in the western part of the island, near the settlement Wa Fehat, at elevations between 820 m (2,690.3 ft) and 1500 m (4,921.3 ft). These observations were reproduced on two birds in December 1995 at Wakeika, at elevation of 1460 m (4,790 ft); changes in the bird's habitat at Wa Fehat were also noted in 1995. The bird was observed only in a few localities and neither its habitat area not population are reliably known. The population is estimated at more than several hundred individuals, and the habitat at several hundreds km² from the available on Buru area above 1,200 meters (872 km²) and above 1,500 m (382 km²); the birds are believed to disperse over their habitat rather than form groups. Because the species are restricted to a single island and its habitat is threatened by logging and other human activities, it is listed as endangered by the IUCN since 1996
The Rufous-throated White-eye most likely eats small invertebrates recovered from bark and lichen. The bird has distinct coloration and body features which distinguish it from other Zosterops
genuses within the Zosteropidae family, namely lack of the characteristic white eye-ring; longer toes, wing and tail, and the pointed shape of the rectrices (part of the tail).
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...
in the Zosteropidae family. It is 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...
within the genus Madanga, with no close relatives, and is endemic to the moist, mountainous, subtropical and tropical forests of the 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...
n island Buru
Buru
Buru is the third largest island within Maluku Islands of Malay Archipelago. It lies between the Banda Sea to the south and Seram Sea to the north, west of Ambon and Seram islands. The island belongs to Maluku province of Indonesia and includes the Buru and South Buru regencies...
. The bird was initially described from four specimens collected in April 1922 from one area in the western part of the island, near the settlement Wa Fehat, at elevations between 820 m (2,690.3 ft) and 1500 m (4,921.3 ft). These observations were reproduced on two birds in December 1995 at Wakeika, at elevation of 1460 m (4,790 ft); changes in the bird's habitat at Wa Fehat were also noted in 1995. The bird was observed only in a few localities and neither its habitat area not population are reliably known. The population is estimated at more than several hundred individuals, and the habitat at several hundreds km² from the available on Buru area above 1,200 meters (872 km²) and above 1,500 m (382 km²); the birds are believed to disperse over their habitat rather than form groups. Because the species are restricted to a single island and its habitat is threatened by logging and other human activities, it is listed as endangered by the IUCN since 1996
The Rufous-throated White-eye most likely eats small invertebrates recovered from bark and lichen. The bird has distinct coloration and body features which distinguish it from other Zosterops
Zosterops
Zosterops is a genus of birds containing the typical white-eyes. They are traditionally placed in the white-eye family, Zosteropidae, which may actually be a part of the Timaliidae, however...
genuses within the Zosteropidae family, namely lack of the characteristic white eye-ring; longer toes, wing and tail, and the pointed shape of the rectrices (part of the tail).