Natewa Silktail
Lamprolia klinesmithi
Small and stub-tailed, appearing mostly dark. Shows vivid electric blue speckling on chest, back, and head, brilliant blue in direct light. Shocking pure white rump and upper tail are diagnostic and obvious. Reliant on primary forest. Voice mostly unknown, but quiet raspy short notes reported.
Identification
The silktail is a small black bird, measuring around 10 centimetres (3.9 in) and weighing 10 to 12.5 g (0.35–0.44 oz). It is a small, dumpy bird with long rounded wings, and a short rounded tail. The plumage of the male is velvet black with metallic blue iridescent spangling on the crown and breast, and silky white lower-back patch that travels most of the length down the tail. The margin of the tail is black, sometimes this tip has the same iridescence as other parts of the body. The female is similar to the male, except less glossy, and immature birds are duller than the adults and may have buffy rumps and backs. The irises of this species are dark, and the legs and bill are blackish. The bill is heavy and slightly hooked at the end. The legs are long and the feet strong. It is smaller than the Taveuni silktail and has more iridescence plumage.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Lamprolia klinesmithi
- Authority
- Ramsay, EP, 1876
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Monarchidae
- Genus
- Lamprolia
Range and habitat
The silktail is endemic to forests of Vanua Levu in Fiji, where it only occurs in the east of the island on the Natewa Peninsula. It occurs in mature wet rainforests, as well as forest patches, and is also found in human-modified habitats such as logged forests and in plantations near patches of natural forest.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
It can be quite elusive and difficult to see, but may also be confiding and approachable. It is usually very active at dawn, and is encountered either singly or in small flocks.<p>The diet consists mainly of insects, worms and arthropods.
Conservation
The silktail is a restricted range species. It is absent from apparently suitable habitat on Vanua Levu, where it only occurs on the Natewa Peninsula. Forest clearance for mahogany plantations and general forest clearance within its range have led to the species being listed as vulnerable in 1994, however this was downgraded to near threatened in 2006. While its habitat is being lost, it is not yet severely fragmented. The population is estimated at around 3,000-6,000 pairs. A reserve for the species has been proposed, but has not yet been gazetted.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Glossy large-billed drongo with glossy blue-sheened wings and tail. Also note bright red eyes, iridescent speckling around the throat and neck, and flared broad-tipped tail. Endemic to Sumatra, where it is the only regularly-occurring “Hair-crested type” drongo, a group which has undergone extensive taxonomic changes recently; some older field guides may refer to this taxa as either Hair-crested or Spangled Drongo. Inhabits foothill forests, where it often associates with mixed flocks in the upper and middle levels of forest. Can be a source of confusion with other drongos, such as Black, Lesser Racket-tailed, Bronzed, and Crow-billed, but note habitat, distinctive tail shape, and flat-headed profile. Gives a variety of vocalizations, including bright fluty whistles and harsh chattering.
Campbell Islands Shag
Leucocarbo campbelli
A medium-sized, black-and-white marine shag with a metallic green-and-blue glimmer on the black head, neck, and throat. Note the white wing patches. Breeding birds have a prominent crest and a yellow line above the gape of the long, pointed bill. There is a yellow patch at the base of the bill that fades to a bright red spot. Non-breeding adults lack the crest and plumage fades to brown. Juveniles are similar to adults, but with brown upperparts. Endemic to Campbell Islands and only found in shallow waters nearby. Only resident shag species on Campbell Island.
Obscure Berrypecker
Melanocharis arfakiana
A small, rare and little-known bird of foothill forest. Medium gray head and back, pale gray throat and chest, and olive flight feathers. Feeds on small berries in the midstory and sub-canopy. Similar to female Black and Mid-mountain Berrypeckers, but Obscure has an orange base to the bill and a yellow tuft on the sides. Song, a short high-pitch phrase “wichoo-wichiti!”
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