Sunbittern
| Sunbittern | |
|---|---|
| |
| Displaying bird | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | Gruiformes (but see article)
|
| Family: | Eurypygidae |
| Genus: | Eurypyga |
| Species: | E. helias
|
| Binomial name | |
| Eurypyga helias | |
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.
Distribution
The Sunbittern's range extends from Guatemala to Brazil. The species may also be present in southern Mexico: it has been traditionally reported from the Atlantic slope of Chiapas, but no specimens are known and there have been no recent records.[2]
Biology
The Sunbittern is normally found near wooded streams or creeks at elevations of up to 909 m. It hunts fish and other small vertebrates much in the same way as herons do. The bird has a generally subdued coloration, with fine linear patterns of black, grey and brown. Its remiges however have vividly-colored middle webs, which with wings fully spread show bright eyespots in red, yellow, and black. These are shown to other sunbitterns in courtship and threat displays, or used to startle potential predators. Like some other birds, the Sunbittern has powder down.
They build open nests in trees, and lay two eggs with blotched markings. The young are precocial, but remain in the nest for several weeks after hatching[3].
Taxonomy
The sunbittern is usually placed in the Gruiformes, but this was always considered preliminary. In some aspects of its morphology the Sunbittern is close to the herons and their relatives (which include bitterns), but this appears to be convergent evolution due to similar lifestyles[citation needed]. Altogether, the bird is most similar to another enigmatic bird provisionally placed in the Gruiformes, the Kagu. Molecular studies (e.g. Fain & Houde 2004) seem to confirm that the Kagu and Sunbittern are each other's closest living relatives. They are probably not Gruiformes (though the proposed Metaves are just as weakly supported)[citation needed]. Altogether, the two species seem to form a minor Gondwanan lineage which possibly also includes the extinct adzebills and/or the mesites, and is of unclear relation to the Gruiformes proper. Notably, the Kagu and mesites also have powder down.
The DNA study by Hackett et al. [4] confirms that the sunbittern and the Kagu are close relatives but puts these two as a sister group of the swifts, nightjars and hummingbirds.
References
- ^ Template:IUCN2008 Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
- ^ Howell, Steve N. G. and Webb, Sophie (1995) A guide to the birds of Mexico and Northern Central America ISBN 0-19-854012-4
- ^ Archibald, George W. (1991). Forshaw, Joseph (ed.). Encyclopaedia of Animals: Birds. London: Merehurst Press. p. 100. ISBN 1-85391-186-0.
- ^ Hackett, S. et al. (2008) "A Phylogenomic Study of Birds Reveals Their Evolutionary History " Science 320 (5884) 1763 - 1768
- Fain, Matthew G. & Houde, Peter (2004): Parallel radiations in the primary clades of birds. Evolution 58(11): 2558-2573. doi:10.1554/04-235 PDF fulltext
External links
- BirdLife Species Factsheet
- Sunbittern videos, photos & sounds on the Internet Bird Collection
- Displaying Sunbittern at Central Park Zoo. Photo by Ferne Spieler.
