Pilotbird
Pilotbird, Blue Mountains
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Acanthizidae
Genus: Pycnoptilus
Gould, 1851
Species:
P. floccosus
Binomial name
Pycnoptilus floccosus
Gould, 1851
Subspecies[2]
  • P. f. sandlandi - Mathews, 1912
  • P. f. floccosus - Gould, 1851

The pilotbird (Pycnoptilus floccosus) is a species of passerine bird in the family Acanthizidae. It is monotypic within the genus Pycnoptilus. The species is endemic to south-eastern Australia.

Taxonomy

The species was first described by English ornithologist John Gould in 1851. The generic name Pycnoptilus derives from the Ancient Greek pyknos 'thick' and ptilon 'feather'.[3] Its specific epithet floccosus is Late Latin for 'flocked with wool'.[3] There are two subspecies: the nominate subspecies Pycnoptilus floccosus floccosus lives in alpine areas; and P. f. sandfordi lives in lowland forest.[4][5]

Description

The pilotbird is a large, plump species of acanthizid, measuring around 18 centimetres (7.1 in) in length and weighing 27 grams (0.95 oz).[4] The plumage of the underparts is reddish-brown with scalloping on the chest and the centre of the belly speckled dull white. The upperparts are chocolate-brown.[5][6] The bill is short and finely pointed.[7] Its tail is broad and semi-erect, and flicked up and down when feeding.[5][8]

Distribution and habitat

The pilotbird is found from the Wollemi National Park and Blue Mountains National Park in New South Wales through to the Dandenong Ranges, near Melbourne in Victoria.[9] Its natural habitat is temperate wet sclerophyll forests and occasionally temperate rainforest, where there is dense undergrowth with abundant debris.[10][7] It is sedentary and common.[7]

Behaviour

Its name comes from its supposed habit of following lyrebirds, taking prey that they flush, and also from its call guiding bushmen seeking for lyrebirds.[7] This habit is well known but seldom observed. The pilotbird is highly terrestrial, feeding on or near the ground and when disturbed it runs swiftly on strong legs.[7] Its call has been described as "piercing and sweet".[8] The male makes a far-carrying call of wit-wit-weet-WHEER to which the female may respond with a softer wit-a-wit-ee.[7][8][4]

Breeding

The breeding season for the pilotbird is from August to December.[7] The globular nest is built with a side-entrance and hidden amongst the accumulated debris on the forest floor.[7] It is an untidy construction of bark, ferns, dead leaves and rootlets.[8] A clutch of usually two eggs, each measuring 27 by 20 mm (1.06 by 0.79 in) and varying in colour from grey-green to purple-brown, is incubated by the female for 20–22 days.[7][8] During the nestling period, which lasts 14–17 days, the male will often feed the female or help with the care of the nestlings, if the female has a subsequent brood.[4] The nests are sometimes parasitised by the fan-tailed cuckoo (Cacomantis flabelliformis).[4]

Conservation

The pilotbird is fairly common within its small range, which has reduced as a result of forest clearance and urban development, but much of its habitat is within national parks or reserves.[4] Its habitat is also threatened by climate change, severe weather and bushfires;[10] nevertheless, the most recent assessment in October 2016 classified the pilotbird as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.[10] The pilotbird was listed as Vulnerable under the EPBC Act in 2022,[11] in response to the 2019/2020 Australian Bushfires, which burnt 47% of its distribution, and contributed to an estimated 30-50% decline in the population.[12]

References

  1. ↑ BirdLife International (2022). "Pycnoptilus floccosus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T22704513A211212104. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-3.RLTS.T22704513A211212104.en. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  2. ↑ Gill, F.; Donsker, D.; Rasmussen, P., eds. (2020). IOC World Bird List 10.2 (Report). doi:10.14344/IOC.ML.10.2.
  3. 1 2 Jobling, James A. (2010). "Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird-names". Retrieved 2020-04-20.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Gregory, Phil (2020). "Pilotbird (Pycnoptilus floccosus)". In Del Hoyo, Josep; Elliott, Andrew; Sargatal, Jordi; Christie, David; De Juana, Eduardo (eds.). Birds of the World. doi:10.2173/bow.pilotb1.01. S2CID 216253532.
  5. 1 2 3 Slater, Peter (1979). A field guide to Australian birds. 2: Passerines / Peter Slater (Reprint ed.). Adelaide: Rigby. ISBN 978-0-85179-813-4.
  6. ↑ Simpson, Ken; Day, N.; Trusler, P. (1999). Written at Ringwood, Victoria. Field Guide to the Birds of Australia (6th ed.). Penguin Books Australia: Viking. ISBN 978-0-670-87918-2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Morcombe, Michael K. (2003). Field Guide to Australian Birds. Steve Parish Pub. ISBN 978-1-74021-417-9.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Pizzey, Graham (1989). A Field Guide to the Birds of Australia. Collins Publishers Australia. ISBN 978-0-7322-2436-3.
  9. ↑ "eBird map: Pilotbird". Retrieved 2020-04-20.
  10. 1 2 3 BirdLife International (2016). "Pycnoptilus floccosus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22704513A93973392. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22704513A93973392.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  11. ↑ "Species Profile and Threats Database - Pilotbird, Pycnoptilus floccosus".
  12. ↑ Conservation Advice for Pycnoptilus floccosus (Pilotbird) In effect under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 from 2 March 2022. https://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/species/pubs/525-conservation-advice-02032022.pdf
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