Solomons Frogmouth
Rigidipenna inexpectata
A bizarre-looking nocturnal bird with large bulging eyes. Brown or rufous in color with barred tail and wing feathers and white-blotched wings. Camouflage is exceptional. Rarely encountered, but recorded from sea level up to 700 meters of elevation. Superficially similar to Solomons Nightjar but unlikely to be confused. Reported to give a series of whistles rising or descending in pitch, but vocally poorly known.
Identification
When first encountered, the Solomons frogmouth was thought to be a subspecies of the Australian marbled frogmouth (Podargus ocellatus). However, an expedition by the Florida Museum of Natural History to Santa Isabel Island managed to collect a new specimen in 1998. Upon examination, the ornithologists Nigel Cleere, Andrew Kratter, together with paleontologist David Steadman, Michael Braun, Christopher Huddleston, evolutionary biologist Christopher Filardi, and ornithologist Guy Dutson realized that it was highly distinct from P. ocellatus. As a result of this apparent distinction, the Solomons frogmouth was moved to a newly-coined genus, Rigidipenna in 2007.<p>The Solomons frogmouth differs from other frogmouths in several ways. For instance, this species has only eight tail feathers instead of the more usual ten or twelve seen in other frogmouths, and the feathers are generally more coarse in texture. It also has barred primary feathers and tail feathers, larger speckles and more pronounced white spots. Storrs Olson, a senior zoologist at the Smithsonian Institution, has stated that the Solomons frogmouth's position as a new species "has profound biogeographical implications and represents a real breakthrough in elucidating the evolutionary history of the family."
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Rigidipenna inexpectata
- Authority
- (Hartert, EJO, 1901)
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Family
- Aegothelidae
- Genus
- Rigidipenna
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
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