New Zealand wattlebirds
Huia (Heteralocha acutirostris)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Superfamily: Corvoidea
Family: Callaeidae
Sundevall, 1836
Genera

Callaeas
Philesturnus
Heteralocha

Callaeidae (sometimes Callaeatidae) is a family of passerine birds endemic to New Zealand. It contains three genera, with five species in the family. One species, the huia, became extinct early in the 20th century, while the South Island kōkako is critically endangered and may be extinct.

Although sometimes known as wattled crows, they are not corvids and are only distantly related to crows - New Zealand wattlebirds is the informal name for this family used by the scientific community.[1]

Biology and evolution

They are ground-dwelling songbirds, 26–38 cm in length. They inhabit dense forests, where they feed on insects. They have strong legs and featherless wattles behind the bill. Their wings are rounded and unusually weak, giving them very limited powers of flight. They are monogamous and maintain permanent territories.[2]

These birds seem to be remnants of an early expansion of passerines to New Zealand. Their only close relative is the stitchbird.[3]

The phylogenetic relationships between the species shown below is based on a study published in 2022. The South Island saddleback (Philesturnus carunculatus) was not sampled.[4]

Notiomystidae

Notiomystis cincta – stitchbird

Callaeidae
Callaeas

Callaeas wilsoni – North Island kokako

Callaeas cinereus – South Island kokako (extinct)

Philesturnus

Philesturnus rufusater – North Island saddleback

Heteralocha

Heteralocha acutirostris – Huia (extinct)

Species

References

  1. ↑ Higgins, P.J. & J.M. Peter (eds) 2002. Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Volume 6: Pardalotes to Shrike-thrushes. Oxford University Press, Melbourne. ISBN 0-19-553762-9
  2. ↑ Lindsey, Terence (1991). Forshaw, Joseph (ed.). Encyclopaedia of Animals: Birds. London: Merehurst Press. p. 225. ISBN 1-85391-186-0.
  3. ↑ Ewen, John G.; Flux, Ian; Ericson, Per G. P.; et al. (2006). "Systematic affinities of two enigmatic New Zealand passerines of high conservation priority, the hihi or stitchbird Notiomystis cincta and the kokako Callaeas cinerea". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 40 (1): 281–284. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2006.01.026. PMID 16527495.
  4. ↑ Gibb, Gillian C.; Shepherd, Lara D. (2022). "Recent evolution of extreme sexual dimorphism in the huia (Heteralocha acutirostris; Callaeidae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 175: 107575. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107575.
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